From the Ashes
by SNOffourier
Summary: When she was younger, Ashe was rescued and raised by the Royal Fire Nation Family. However, her fairy tale childhood quickly came to an end, and she found refuge in the Southern Water Tribe. Despite being with her people, her heart still rests with the one place she truly calls home. One day, she will be able to return. "Water is the element of change." I only own my OC.
1. Prologue

**Welcome to my A:TLA fan fiction! I'm very excited to get this show on the road. A few tidbits about this story first:**

 **1) This story is going to cover the TV series AND the comics.**

 **2) Ideas and suggestions are warmly welcomed. If your idea is used, I will credit you in a 'special thanks' at the end of the story.**

 **Happy reading!**

* * *

 _Zuko rubbed his hands together and tucked them under his armpits. The skies hid behind a thick layer of gray clouds, and a light shower of snow fell. He breathed deeply, and a puff of visible air escaped his mouth. A chilly breeze bit his nose and cheeks, and the nine-year-old shivered._

 _"C-C-Can we go home now?" Zuko said._

 _A slender hand patted the top of his head, and he looked up at his mother, Ursa. She offered that gloved hand to him, and he gripped it tightly. Their shoes crunched against the snow._

 _"We're almost done. It hardly ever shows any signs of cold here, let alone snow. I want to enjoy this a little longer," Ursa said. She raised her other hand and pointed a finger. "Look."_

 _Zuko followed her finger to a group of children building snowmen. A snowball flew and nailed one of the children in the side of the head. They whipped in the direction of the giggling friend who threw it. With a mischievous grin, they scooped up a large handful of snow, shaped it into a snowball, and chucked it, covering the friend's face with snow._

 _"They look like they're having fun," Zuko said. He looked up at his mother with a smile. "Can I join them?"_

 _"Let's go over and ask," Ursa said._

 _They approached the frolicking children. As they drew closer, one child called from the entrance to an alleyway, waving his arms frantically for attention. His friends gathered around them. Whispers arose. Zuko and Ursa glanced at each other and joined the group. When the children saw the two, quiet gasps rippled. They separated, creating a path for them to walk up to the front and see what was going on._

 _A young girl lay in the snow. Her skin was blue from the frigid cold. A thin layer of snow had begun to cover her body._

 _"What's she doing here?" Zuko said, looking to his mother for answers._

 _Ursa scooped the child into her arms and brushed the snow from her face. She pressed two fingers against the child's throat, feeling her slow, weak pulse. She lowered an ear against the girl's mouth. A shallow breath tickled her ear._

 _"I don't know, but she's been here for a while. She's freezing." Ursa ran a hand over her dark brown hair. "We must head back to the Palace, and quickly. We've got to get her out of the cold."_

 _Zuko nodded. The children watched from their snowball field as the two members of the Royal Family emerged from the alleyway, the unconscious girl hanging heavily in Ursa's arms._

* * *

 _The guards opened the main palace doors and bowed to Ursa and Zuko as they passed, murmuring to each other about the child._

 _"Where are you taking her?" Zuko said._

 _"I was thinking about putting her in your room," Ursa said._

 _"My room?! Why not Azula's?!"_

 _Ursa smiled. "Because you're the most forgiving. It won't be for long."_

 _Zuko sighed submissively. "Is she going to be okay?"_

 _"I believe so. We found her just in time. For now, we need to make sure she warms back up. Until then, she'll sleep. It might be a while before she wakes." They stopped at the doors to Zuko's room. "Go and fetch a bucket of warm water and some warm towels. I'll change her out of these wet clothes."_

 _Zuko nodded and jogged down the hallway. When he turned the corner, a face appeared._

 _"What's going on?" Azula said, her arms crossed._

 _"Nothing. We found someone while we were out, and we're taking care of her," Zuko said._

 _Azula's nose wrinkled. "Why?"_

 _"_ Why _? What do you mean why? Why wouldn't you help someone who needed you?"_

 _"That depends on what I get in return."_

 _Zuko scoffed and jogged past her. "Whatever."_

 _He entered the kitchen, where a cook greeted him. He scurried out, carefully dangling the bucket in one hand while balancing a stack of warm, folded towels in the other. The water sloshed against the sides of the bucket, spilling drops onto the floor. He pushed the door to his room open with his foot._

 _Ursa lay the girl back on the bed. She was dressed in red and gold pajamas. Ursa brushed her short, dark brown hair out of her face and reached a hand to Zuko. Zuko hurried over and handed the stack of towels to his mother. Ursa smiled gratefully and accepted them. She unfolded one and laid it over the girl's neck._

 _"How long do you think it'll be until she wakes?" Zuko said._

 _"I'm not sure. It might be tomorrow or it might be a few weeks from now. No one can say," Ursa said._

 _"Unless, of course, she doesn't wake up," Azula said as she leaned against one of the bed posts with folded arms, observing the girl with half-closed eyes. Zuko scowled._

 _"There's no need for that kind of thinking. We'll do the best we can and hope it's good enough."_

* * *

~ONE WEEK LATER~

 _"Your Majesty!" A servant burst through the bushes and hurried to Ursa and Zuko, leaping over a patch of flowers to reach them._

 _"Yes?" Ursa said as she and her son stood from the bench they sat on._

 _"The girl. She's awake!"_

 _Zuko and Ursa looked at each other with wide eyes. Zuko gripped his mother's hand as they hurried back into the palace, down the hallway, and to his room. They cracked the door open and peeked inside._

 _The sliver of light fell on the bed. The blankets shifted. A shadow slowly sat up, only to fall back on the pillow with a wince. Ursa hurried to the bed._

 _"Don't push yourself too hard. You must be exhausted," Ursa said._

 _The girl rubbed her eyes. "I don't feel tired."_

 _Ursa slid her hand underneath the girl's head and helped her sit up._

 _"Are you hungry?" Ursa said. The girl nodded right as her stomach growled. Ursa looked to Zuko, and he nodded and hurried out of the room. "What's your name, dear?"_

 _"Uh..." The girl's light blue eyes wandered around the room. "I don't know."_

 _"You can't remember?"_

 _"I don't think I have one."_

 _"How strange. We'll have to change that. Would you like me to think of something for you?" The girl nodded._

 _Zuko returned with a bowl of stew and a roll of bread. The girl snatched the roll from his hand and devoured it. She reached hungrily for the stew, a pile of crumbs in her lap. Zuko handed the stew to her._

 _"She looks like Water Tribe. Why not give her a name according to that?" Azula said._

 _"I'd rather name her something that suits her," Ursa said. She tapped a finger to her chin as she watched the girl gobble up her stew. "I'm thinking... Ashe. Do you like that name?"_

 _Ashe lifted her head and opened her mouth, but a burp escaped instead of words. She covered her mouth and blushed._

 _"Excuse me," she said. Zuko snickered while Azula scoffed and rolled her eyes. "I like it."_

 _Ursa smiled. "Then your name will be Ashe. It's nice to meet you. You're inside the Fire Lord's Palace. My name is Ursa."_

 _"I'm Zuko," Zuko said with a wave. Ashe smiled and waved back. She looked at Azula, who rolled her eyes again._

 _"Whatever." Azula stepped out of the room._

 _"That's Azula. She doesn't like anyone."_

 _Ashe wiped a hand over her mouth and held up her empty bowl. "May I have some more?"_

 _"Of course," Ursa said._

* * *

 _"Ashe," Ursa approached the young girl, "I have something I need to discuss with you."_

 _"Okay," Ashe said. She and Ursa entered the guest room, where she was staying._

 _"Have you noticed something... different between you and I?"_

 _"What do you mean?"_

 _"When we first met, it was mentioned that you aren't originally from this place, the Fire Nation. You have the characteristics of someone from a Water Tribe, which explains why we look different from each other."_

 _"Yeah, I noticed that."_

 _"Well... I say this with a heavy heart, but these days are very different compared to long ago. I'm worried that people will not take this well, and they may try to put you in danger."_

 _Ursa lifted her hands, which held a small container of foundation and a pair of colored contacts._

 _"I thought that maybe these would help you to blend in with the people." Ursa knit her eyebrows. "Is this all right? You don't have to do this if you don't want to."_

 _"If it will help you not worry anymore, and if it'll keep me safe like you believe, then it's okay," Ashe said with a smile. Ursa smiled back. "Can you help me put it on?"_

 _Ursa nodded. Ashe hurried to the vanity chair and sat down. Ursa opened the foundation container and used a tiny cloth to apply it to Ashe's face, instantly making it a shade lighter. She opened the lens case. She paused a moment to look at Ashe, cupping a hand over her cheek._

 _"You have lovely eyes," she said. Ashe smiled. Ursa carefully picked up a lens. "Open your eyes wide and look up."_

 _Ashe obeyed, and Ursa applied the contact._

 _"Blink slowly."_

 _Ashe closed her eyes and slowly opened them. They repeated the process for the other eye. Ashe twisted in her seat to look in the mirror. She stared at her reflection. The contacts made her eyes amber instead of blue, and her skin was slightly lighter, magically transforming her into someone from the Fire Nation. Ursa scooped Ashe's hair into her hands; Ashe squirmed from Ursa's nails lightly scratching the back of her neck. Gathering the hair on top of Ashe's head, Ursa used a red hairband to tie it into a topknot. She left some hair out, and it framed Ashe's face. Finally, she picked up a small, three-pronged, golden headpiece shaped like a flame and inserted it in the front of her hair._

 _"Wow," Ashe leaned closer to the mirror, "I look different."_

 _Ursa nodded. "To everyone else, you'll look like this in their eyes."_

 _The door opened, and Zuko stepped inside. He raised an eyebrow when he saw Ashe._

 _"Is that you, Ashe?" Zuko said. Ashe nodded. He leaned closer to study her. "You look different."_

 _Ursa chuckled and placed a hand on Zuko's shoulder, gently pulling him away. Ashe turned back to the mirror._

* * *

~TWO YEARS LATER~

 _The door to Ashe's room opened, and Ursa stepped inside. Ashe was fast asleep. The outside was pitch black, and nothing from the gardens could be seen. Ursa sat on the bed and placed a hand on Ashe's shoulder. Ashe's eyes cracked open._

 _"Ashe," Ursa whispered as she pulled Ashe up to a sitting position, "please listen to me. I'm glad that I had you in my life. You were like a daughter to me. "_

 _"...What?" Ashe mumbled, rubbing her eyes. Ursa hugged Ashe against her chest._

 _"I love you, Ashe. Please, make sure you and Zuko take care of each other. Make sure you always stay close and watch over each other." Ursa pulled away and gripped Ashe's shoulders. "I'm sorry for all that I've put you through. No matter how things may seem to change, never forget who you truly are."_

 _Ashe's eyes drooped, and she lazily nodded. When she forced her eyes to open again, she watched Ursa step out and close the doors behind her. Thinking nothing of it in the moment, she flopped back on her bed and closed her eyes._

 _A few hours later, when morning came, a pair of hands grabbed Ashe's shoulders and harshly shook her awake._

 _"Wake up, Ashe!" Zuko whispered. Ashe groaned and sat up._

 _"What is it now?" she said with a yawn._

 _"Mom's gone. I've looked everywhere for her, but I can't find her!"_

 _Ashe's eyes opened wide. "What?"_

 _While Zuko continued to sputter out nonsense, terror gripped Ashe. She looked across the room at the vanity, where she could see her reflection: her darker shaded skin and light blue eyes._

 _"...I asked my dad where she could be, but he wouldn't answer me..." Ashe picked up from Zuko's endless sentences._

 _A thought zipped across her mind- it appeared quick and painless, but it stuck there like glue._

What if I'm next?

* * *

~TWO MORE YEARS LATER~

~ASHE~

 _Between the splinters wedges in my knuckles and fingers, tiny drops of blood squeezed their way out to the surface. My steps were muffled against the rich, red, narrow strip of rug that covered the middle of the marble hallway._

 _Two pairs of footsteps were headed in my direction. I leaped behind one of the thick pillars lining the edges of the carpet._

 _"Where do you think she went?" one guard said._

 _"Don't know, but she couldn't have gotten far," the other guard said. "Let's search that way."_

 _The footsteps faded down the hallway. I struggled to breathe deeply; the weight bearing down on my chest made it nearly impossible. I peeked down the hallway to check if anyone was around. I turned to the window, which displayed a glimpse of the gardens. I crept over and played with the lock until it clicked open. I carefully crawled through the window, closing it behind me. I hopped into the bushes below, right as a guard strolled by. The spear in his hand sent chills up my spine. When he passed, I slowly crawled through the bushes lining the palace, looping around to the front entrance. I peeked my head out and observed my surroundings. I could see the exit from here, as well as the multiple guards standing watch. Panic rose in my throat- how am I going to get out of here?_

 _"Are you looking for something?" a voice said behind me. My muscles trembled as I turned around, lifting my shaking eyes at a stout, elderly man. His gray hair connected with his beard, a topknot resting on his head. He held his hands together, but because of his long sleeves, I couldn't see them._

 _I opened my mouth, but all that came out was a shrill squeak. I forced more air out._

 _"Are... you... going to tell on me... Iroh?" I whispered._

 _Iroh looked up at the guards in the near distance before setting his soft, amber eyes back on me. He reached a hand to me. Hesitantly, I accepted it, and Iroh pulled me out from the bush._

 _"I'm going to do something, but first, I need you to close your eyes and trust me," Iroh said._

 _My eyes widened and I gulped. Nevertheless, I obeyed. I heard Iroh shift, and a soft fabric wrapped around my head. I flinched when it first touched my skin. Iroh rested a hand on my shoulder to assure me, and I relaxed. He securely wrapped the fabric around my head, leaving my nose and mouth alone to help me breathe._

 _"I'm going to carry you, now. Please do not make any sounds."_

 _I nodded. Iroh slowly and carefully scooped me into his arms, and we began to take steady steps in a direction, which I assumed was toward the exit. I heard the soft_ chings _of guard armor from movement as we got closer._

 _"Good evening, gentlemen," Iroh said. He stopped his stride._

 _"Is that...?" one guard said._

 _"Yes. I am taking him away to be treated." My heart throbbed._

 _"Very well. You may pass."_

 _"Thank you."_

 _Iroh's stride continued, and he carried me away from the Palace. Through the fabric over my ears, I heard the muffled excitement of the town. That, too, faded. Minutes passed as we walked. Iroh's heavy breath rustled the stray hairs around my face as the slope steepened. The path curved downhill, and Iroh's pace quickened._

 _"I'm setting you down," Iroh finally said. I nodded and held on to his robe as he planted me back on my feet. He reached up and removed the layers of fabric from my head. We were near the docks of a port. A large ship was anchored at one of them, filled with many people. I bowed my head as I tried to hide my blotched cheeks. Iroh knelt and rested his hands on my shoulders. "I must return to the Palace. I don't want to cause suspicion."_

 _I ran a hand under my running nostrils. "What's going to happen to me?"_

 _"Listen to me very carefully, Ashe. You must leave- not just the city, but this Nation. Fire Lord Ozai no doubt will search for you. The sooner you leave these borders, the sooner you'll be safe."_

 _Tears streamed down my cheeks. "Where will I go?"_

 _Iroh reached into his pocket and placed two small sacks in my hands. I opened it and peeked inside- one bag was filled with blue coins while the other had copper, silver, and a few gold coins. He pointed to the large ship. "That ship is heading to the Earth Kingdom. One copper piece should pay for the trip. If you are careful, this money will carry you for a while. Find some new clothes, and make sure you keep your belly full. Unfortunately, I won't be able to help you as much as we'd both like."_

 _I nodded and clutched the bags of money. I threw my arms around Iroh's neck._

 _"Will I ever see you again?" I wept into his beard._

 _"Only time will tell. And when that day comes, I hope to hear the tales you have." Iroh pulled away. "You must go. Ozai must have noticed your disappearance by now."_

 _I nodded and scurried down the wooden dock. A man greeted me with a smile. I reached into one of my money sacks and placed a copper coin in the man's hand. He bowed to me and gestured for me to climb aboard. The blast of the ship's horn nearly startled me out of my skin. I raced up the slope and onto the ship. I walked to the edge. Iroh waved to me. The anchor lifted, and the ship began to set sail._

 _I reached up and wiped my cheeks. When I pulled away, I looked down at my hand. The back of it was covered with makeup, lighter than my skin tone. I waved even when my arm was tired. When Iroh and the docks were no longer visible, I walked with my head bowed to the washing room. A smooth slab of glass hung against the wall, allowing me a look at myself. The left side of my face was light and fair, save the trail of tears that had washed away the makeup. My right cheek's makeup was now on the back of my hand. I leaned closer to the glass at my amber eyes, which were dry despite the pool of tears._

 _I plunged my hands into the warm bucket of water in front of me and splashed it on my face. As I scrubbed, the makeup melted off my hands and face and into the water. I looked up at my dripping, clean face. The light mask was gone, revealing the darker tone to my skin. I patted my face with a cloth. I reached up and removed the colored contacts. The amber quickly changed to light blue. I tossed the contacts to the floor. I yanked the band that kept a top knot securely on the top of my head. My dark brown hair fell, barely skimming my shoulders in waves. The golden flame headpiece fell out and clattered to the floor. I bent down, picked it up, and placed it in my pocket._

 _I stared at my reflection for a long while: my bloodshot eyes, my red cheeks, as well as the now beige-colored water in front of me._

 _For the first time in years, I could see what was behind the mask._

 _The fresh memory ripped through my skull- an ear-piercing shriek. I clenched my fists and shook my head to try and block out the noise. As I did, I heard crackling. I looked down and gasped at the now frozen water sitting in the bucket._

Did I... do that? _I stepped back and looked at my hands. The remnants of water on my fingers hardened to ice. I clapped my hands to dust them off. However, when my hands came together, the ice in the bucket shot up and stabbed the wood ceiling. I jumped against the wall as splinters of wood fell at my feet. I stared at the ice._

Does this mean I'm a...?

 _I slipped out of the bathroom. I passed by a bowl of punch. I glanced around to make sure no one was watching before I raised my hand towards it. The punch crackled as it froze instantly. I tapped a finger against it, but it remained frozen. I stepped away and walked over to the railing. I gripped the cold metal. The night air stung my tear-stained cheeks. I looked behind me and watched the Fire Nation Capital get smaller and smaller as this ship carried me further and further away._

 _A fresh tear streamed down my cheek. I reached into my pocket and clutched the golden flame headpiece._

 _"I'm sorry..." I whispered. "I broke our promise."_

* * *

~A FEW MONTHS LATER~

 _My thick boots crunched against the heavy layers of snow, the topmost layer fresh from the new blanket that finished falling an hour ago. I rubbed my gloved hands together to warm them up; it must be many degrees below zero in this part of the world. A sudden wind stung my face, and I tugged the hood of my heavy overcoat to cover my freezing ears. The soft chiming of coins rumbling in my pocket kept the silence from coming. Thankfully, the money Iroh gave me was enough to buy new clothes and a ferry trip to this artic land. Too bad they dropped me off and I had to walk to my destination._

 _I heard children's laughter somewhere nearby. I stopped and strained to listen. Either the cold was seeping into my head and causing me to hallucinate, or there really were children playing out in this freezing weather. The laughter picked up again, and my eyes trailed up a steep hill. Two creatures slid down the hill at quick speeds, and when I squinted my eyes, I could see people sitting on their backs. The bottom of the hill was nearby, and I broke into a run._

 _Two children, a boy and a girl, as well as a grown man watching over them, turned at the sound of my approaching footsteps. I stopped in front of them, panting quietly._

 _"Hello," the man said, surprise all over his face._

 _"Hello," I said. "Are you all from the Southern Water Tribe?"_

 _"Yes... Who are you?"_

 _"My name is A-" I stopped and took a deep breath. "My name is Ursa."_

 _"Hi, Ursa! My name is Katara!" The little girl ran over to me with a big grin. The two hair loops framing her face billowed in the breeze. "This is my big brother, Sokka!"_

 _"Hi!" Sokka said. Both children were younger than me, with Sokka closer to my age than Katara._

 _"My name is Hakoda, chief of the tribe we live in and the father of these kids. What's a young girl like you traveling around these icy tundras by yourself?" the man said._

 _"I traveled here from the Earth Kingdom. I'm looking for somewhere that I'll be safe," I said. "Do you by chance have any waterbenders in your tribe?"_

 _Katara's eyes grew wide. She tugged on my sleeve and cupped a hand over my ear._

 _"Are_ you _a waterbender?" she whispered secretively._

 _I stood up straight and thrust my hand forward. A wall of ice launched from the ground, stretching for many feet. Katara squealed._

 _"Wow!" she cried. "Look, Daddy, she's a waterbender like me!"_

 _Hakoda patted Katara's head. "Katara here is the only waterbender in the Southern Water Tribe."_

 _"The only one? Where are the others?" I said._

 _"The Fire Nation got rid of them," Sokka blurted._

 _"Hush, Sokka!" Hakoda said._

 _My eyes widened. "The Fire Nation?"_

 _Hakoda sighed and looked at me with a smile. "We'll take you to our tribe. If it's protection you're looking for, whatever the reason may be, then you've come to the right place."_

 _"Yeah! Our warriors are super strong. I'm gonna become one of them someday!" Sokka said, flexing his slim arms. Katara rolled her eyes._

 _I gave him a small smile. "I feel safe already."_

 _"Let's get going, then," Hakoda said, resting a hand on my shoulder. I looked up at his warm smile. "Welcome to the Southern Water Tribe."_

 _I nodded, expecting to be happy or relieved, but the hollow emptiness in my chest remained._


	2. The Boy in the Iceberg

~PRESENT DAY~

Taking a deep breath with closed eyes, I slid my right foot around, leaving a thin, crescent trail in the snow. I raised my arms up slowing, rolling them up into the air with my fingers extended.

A small wall of ice rose along with my arms. I paused, one hand slightly higher than the other, and cracked an eye open. When I saw the ice, I let out frustrated growl and let my arms flop to my sides. When my hands hit my thighs, the wall of ice shattered into cubes and scattered across the snow. A pair of boots stepped over a small pile of ice cubes.

"Maybe you should take a break for today," Katara said, holding a steaming cup of tea in her hands. She offered it to me.

I sighed and accepted the tea. I took a sip. The warm liquid swam down my throat and into my stomach, spreading to my bloodstream and sending shudders up my spine.

"Do you think it has something to do with your technique?" Katara said. I handed my empty tea cup back to her. "I've caught you using firebending technique during your training."

"I can't help it. I've seen it a lot before, and I guess it's become a habit. But no matter what I try, there's no difference. Waterbending..." I pointed to the pile of ice cubes blending into the snow. "Firebending..." I thrust my other fist to the side, sending those ice cubes into a nearby snow dune. "...I get the same results."

"A master waterbending finding it difficult to bend water." Katara chuckled.

I rolled my eyes. It was strange, even a bit awkward, being called a master of waterbending, especially when it's directed towards a sixteen-year-old. I found out I was a waterbender when I was eleven, and I've been training ever since. It took a while, but I can finally perform the advanced styles of waterbending, like different types of ice creations and even pulling water out of the air.

Of course, icebending wasn't a struggle for me to perfect. No matter how hard I try or what I do, all water that I call to my control freezes on impact and shows no promise of thawing. I still haven't figured out the cause, and it stumps me like a frustrating riddle every day.

"We should get going. Gran-Gran asked for the three of us to go catch some food for dinner," Katara said.

I nodded, and we headed back to the Southern Water Tribe. I've lived here for about two-and-a-half years now. Ever since I first arrived, everyone welcomed me with smiling faces and open arms. It was nice to be surrounded by my people.

Although, I could do without this cold. Ever since I was younger, I abhorred colder weather. Perhaps I had a bad experience with it, but I can't seem to remember.

Sokka waited outside our tent, impatiently tapping the tip of his whale tooth spear against the ground. When he saw us coming, he scowled.

"Finally! Can you please try and keep your girl activities to a minimum? I almost starved to death!" Sokka said.

"If you're going to call waterbending a 'girl activity', then I can say the same thing about the hour it takes for you to get ready in the mornings," I said.

"Excuse me, but _this_ requires delicate procedures to perfect, thank you very much." Sokka pointed at his warrior's wolf knot. "You can't just wake up like this."

"Come on, both of you," Katara said, tugging on our arms. "Use your bantering energy to carry the canoe."

We circled to the side of the tent, where the canoe sat. Sokka and I carried the canoe while Katara held Sokka's whale tooth spear and supervised. At the shore of the chilly ocean, we turned the canoe right-side up and set it in the water. I sat in the middle, with Sokka at the front and Katara in the back. I stomped my foot against the bottom of the canoe, and a small, rectangular column of ice jutted from the ground and hit the canoe, pushing us into the water.

"I see one," Sokka whispered, holding his spear above his head. His eyes followed the shadow swimming underneath the surface.

"Me, too," Katara said, looking at the other end of the canoe. I turned to Katara as she removed one of her gloves. Taking a deep breath, she waved her hand in front of her. The water rippled, and the fish emerged, swimming in a small bubble of water. Katara gasped. "Look!"

"Not now, Katara. I'm trying to focus," Sokka hissed. I gave Katara a thumbs up and clapped silently.

"But-!" The fish swam above Sokka as he pulled back his spear. The water bubble popped, soaking Sokka, and the fish landed in my lap.

" _Katara_!"

"That wasn't my fault! You're the one who won't put aside his pride for a second to look around!"

"Maybe I would if I didn't have to constantly worry about your water magic soaking me every five minutes!"

"I told you, it's called waterbending!"

"Uh... guys?" I said, glancing past Sokka at the water ahead.

"What?!" the siblings cried.

We lurched forward as the canoe was sucked into a sea current. Sokka grabbed the oar and pedaled. I stood on my feet, taking a wider stance to avoid falling into the water. Large blocks of ice were pulled into the current and swam towards the canoe. I thrust my fists towards those that were the closest, launching them in the opposite direction.

"Watch out!" Katara cried. While I pushed one ice block away, another knocked against the canoe, jerking us to the left. Two large ice blocks closed in on the canoe.

I thrust my arms to the sides of me, diagonal to the ground. There was crackling noises as the water beneath the boat froze, gluing it in place. I lifted my arms, tucking them to my torso, and quickly raised them above my head. The canoe lifted as the ice bobbed against the water. The two ice blocks crashed against ours, knocking Katara out of the canoe and onto the ice. We climbed out.

"Well, there goes our ride," Sokka said. "Thanks for the help, Katara. I knew I could count on you to do nothing."

"Ex _cuse_ me?! What was I supposed to do?!"

"Your _water magic_ would've been real helpful."

Katara clenched her fists. "Don't you lecture me on doing nothing! You are the laziest, cruelest, most immature person I've ever met!" Katara threw her hands up in the air, manipulating the water around her. When they came down, a crack appeared in the giant iceberg sitting in front of us. "You go off and play your stupid games while Ursa and I do all the work around the tribe!"

More cracks appeared. Sokka's eyes widened.

"Uh... K-Katara?" Sokka said. "You should probably calm down a little bit..."

"No! I'm done taking orders from you! From now on, you're on your _own_!"

With a final frustrated swing of her arms, a large wave of water struck the iceberg, splitting it in half. We clung to the piece of ice as it pushed us away a few feet.

"Did... _I_ do that?" Katara said.

"Yeah. Congratulations, you just went from weird to super weird," Sokka said.

A small circle in the water glowed bright blue. It started to expand, like something coming up to the surface. We stood up and backed away as a glowing blue iceberg emerged from the water. The ice was very smooth compared to the rugged pieces surrounding us. I squinted at the iceberg; it looked like...

"There's someone in there!" Katara gasped.

A young boy sat cross-legged in the center of the ice, his fists together. A large and strange creature sat above him. The boy opened his eyes, and they, along with the air tattoos on his forehead and hands, glowed white.

Katara grabbed Sokka's club, which hung on the outside of his overcoat.

"What are you doing?!" Sokka cried.

"We have to help him!" Katara jumped off our piece of ice, using the smaller pieces lined in front of us as stepping stones to reach the iceberg. Sokka and I chased after her. Gripping the club with both hands, Katara smashed it against the ice as hard as she could. "Help me, Ursa!"

"Right," I said. I spread my feet apart and raised my hands. I tensed my fingers, and I heard the ice shift. I quickly brought my arms down, clenching my fists. The iceberg burst, releasing a strong gust of air that hit me and Katara, knocking us into Sokka and sending us to the ground. A beacon of bright blue light shot from the iceberg and into the sky. It remained for several seconds before it turned into an aurora borealis that rippled above the iceberg. We stood on our feet.

The boy climbed up to the edge of the broken iceberg and stood tall. He looked young- younger than all of us. The lights faded, both in the sky and from the boy. With a groan, he fell forward. Katara gasped and sprinted forward to catch him, bringing her to her knees. She sat him against the iceberg. His eyes fluttered open, resting his gray irises solely on Katara.

His eyes shot open. "Are there any penguins around here?" he said.

Katara sat up straight. "Um... yes?"

"Awesome!" The boy floated up to his feet. I was taken aback. _Was that...?_

A low growl shook the ice. The boy's eyes lit up, and he climbed up and over the destroyed iceberg.

"Appa!" we heard him cry. We circled around the iceberg and stood in shock at the giant, furry, four-legged animal that the boy embraced.

"What _is_ that thing?!" Sokka said. "And who are _you_?!"

"This is Appa. He's my flying bison. My name is Aang."

" _Flying_ bison? Yeah, okay."

"My name is Katara. This is my brother, Sokka. It would be best if you ignore what comes out of his mouth," Katara said.

"I'm Ursa." I said. I examined his yellow and orange robes, which definitely weren't appropriate for this biting cold. "Um... Are you an... an airbender?"

"Sure am! Do you guys live around here?" Aang said, oblivious to our surprised expressions.

"All right, I've seen enough for one day. I'm going home," Sokka said.

"With what canoe?" I said as I pointed to the empty ocean.

"If you need some way to get back, Appa and I can give you a ride." Aang twisted into the air and landed on Appa's head.

"That's a great idea! We'd love a ride," Katara said.

"There is no way I'm getting on that monster," Sokka said.

"Are you going to wait until another one comes along? I don't think they'll be as friendly."

Sokka grumbled, and we all climbed into the saddle on Appa's back.

"All right, here we go!" Aang said. He flicked the reins tied around Appa's horns. "Appa, yip yip!"

Appa opened his mouth, letting out a guttural noise, before leaping forward. He belly flopped into the water and started to swim.

"Come on, Appa!"

" _Wow_. That was truly amazing," Sokka said, the maximum level of sarcasm oozing from his words.

"Appa's just tired. After a good night's sleep, he'll be soaring through the skies, no problem!"

* * *

Around the middle of the night, we arrived back at our tribe. Aang was fast asleep. Sokka carried him into one of the tents and laid him down on the mat while Katara tucked him. I folded my arms as Katara stepped out of the tent.

"What's on your mind?" Katara said, studying my puzzled expression.

"How in the world did a kid like him get stuck inside that giant block of ice?" I said. "And how long was he in there?"

"I don't know. Try asking him tomorrow." Katara patted my shoulder. "I'm heading to bed; you should do that soon."

I nodded and watched her disappear into Gran-Gran's tent. I pinched the flap of Aang's tent and peeked inside. I saw the slow falling and rising of his body as he breathed softly. The light of the glowing fire that sat in the center of the tribe leaked inside, and I could faintly see the blue arrow tattoo on his head.

 _I thought airbenders were extinct._ I closed the tent door and headed to mine. I glanced back once more. _Didn't they say that the Avatar would be an airbender?_

I kicked off my boots and crawled underneath my covers.

 _Maybe..._

* * *

"Rise and shine!" Gran-Gran's voice filled the tent. I sat up and rubbed my eyes.

"Morning," I mumbled. I glanced around the room. "I see I'm the last one awake."

"Katara woke up a few moments ago. She went to go fetch your friend."

I slid my boots on and stood up. I reached up and collected a small portion of my waist-long, dark brown hair, setting it on top of my head and tying it into a top-knot. I collected the rest of it and secured it into a low ponytail. I pulled a few pieces out, giving some framing to my face.

"I never understood your choice of hairstyle," Gran-Gran said with a chuckle.

I reached into my pocket. "Are you going to come and meet our friend?"

"If you and Katara didn't continually remind me, I would have completely forgotten."

I smiled and offered my arm to Gran-Gran. She rested her hand on the crook of my elbow, and we stepped out into the icy air. The entire village, which was about twenty to thirty members, stood in front of Katara and Aang, consisting entirely of women and children. Gran-Gran informed me that all the men were off fighting in the war; Sokka is the only grown male in the entire tribe.

"Morning, Gran-Gran!" Katara said. She grabbed Aang's arm and gestured to the village. "Aang, meet the village. Village, this is Aang."

"Hello," Aang said with a wave. Some villagers took a step back. Aang raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong? Do I have something on my face?"

"No one has seen an airbender in one hundred years. We thought them to be extinct... until my grandchildren and Ursa brought you home," Gran-Gran said.

"...Extinct?"

"What is this thing I tripped over?" Sokka said as he stepped to Aang side, holding a wooden staff.

"Hey, you found my staff. Thanks!" Aang took his staff and tapped it against the snow. Two orange gliders popped out, the top one much larger than the bottom one.

"Let me guess: you are _also_ able to fly. Just like your monster friend?"

"Appa's a bison, not a monster. And yes, I can fly by manipulating the wind currents with my glider. Check this out!"

Holding his glider up behind, Aang leaped into the air. We watched him loop several times in the air. The children giggled and pointed their fingers excitedly.

"See?" Aang called with a big grin right before he dove headfirst into a watch tower.

"My watch tower!" Sokka cried. I covered my mouth to stifle a laugh as he hurried over to the base. A large chunk of snow broke off and fell on him. "Great, now we have three bending weirdos around here."

"Three?" Aang raised an eyebrow.

"Katara and I are waterbenders," I said. Aang's eyes lit up.

"Well, sort of. I'm still learning. But Ursa is already a master," Katara said.

"You really don't need to call me that..."

"It's great to meet other benders," Aang said with a grin.

A Water Tribe child tugged on Aang's sleeve. "Will you show us another magic trick?"

"Sure!" The children smiled and dragged him away.

Gran-Gran patted my hand. "Come along now, girls. It's time to do chores."

"You see, Gran-Gran?" Katara said as we headed back to the tent. "Maybe Aang's the one who'll be able to teach me bending."

"Katara... I don't want you putting all your faith in someone you've just met. You hardly know anything about this boy," Gran-Gran said.

"But... something tells me he's special. I can just feel it."

I opened the tent flap for Gran-Gran, and she went inside.

"Don't you think he's special, too?" Katara asked me.

"I do, actually," I said. "In fact... I think he's... well, never mind."

"What? Tell me."

I sighed. "Maybe... He could be the Avatar."

"You think so?"

"Yeah... but it's just wishful thinking."

* * *

When Katara finished her chores, she inquired about Aang's whereabouts, to which Gran-Gran answered that he disappeared about an hour ago. She left to go look for him. I washed the dishes while Gran-Gran sat in her chair and crocheted.

"Ursa," Gran-Gran called. I glanced over my shoulder, "Katara tells me that you have difficulties with your waterbending."

I set the cup I was washing on the counter. "Yeah. She calls me a master because of all the things I can pull off, but the most important thing I fail at is _water_ bending. Look." I picked up the cup, filled it with water, and turned to Gran-Gran. I waved my hand above the cup. The water froze immediately. I turned the cup upside-down and flicked my hand. The cylindrical block of ice launched out of the cup and hit the ground. "See? No matter how hard I try, I always end up icebending."

Gran-Gran laid her work-in-progress in her lap. "Have you thought of the possibility that it may not be an external cause?"

"What do you mean?"

"Perhaps your incapability to waterbend- your inability to shape and create- is not caused by something you can see with your eyes, but instead something you feel within your heart?"

I reached into my pocket. "I still don't get it..."

"You'll understand. One day." Gran-Gran glanced down at the hand shoved in my pocket. "What's in your pocket?"

"Huh?" I yanked my hands out and showed them to her. "Nothing. It's just a habit."

Gran-Gran nodded. Just before she could resume her crocheting, Sokka entered the tent with knitted eyebrows.

"Is something wrong?" I said.

"You know how Katara was looking for Aang?" Sokka said. "I think I found them."

With a raised eyebrow, Gran-Gran and I followed Sokka out of the tent. Sokka shoved a finger up. I lifted my eyes to the sky and followed a large, bright snare.

"Oh, no..." I whispered. My face paled. "You know what this means, right?"

"We're not the only ones who saw that." Sokka clenched his fists. "The Fire Nation knows where we are. No doubt they're coming now."

My heart skipped a beat. I reached my hand into my pocket.


	3. The Avatar Returns

I waited anxiously for Katara and Aang to return to the tribe. We all stood on the outskirts to greet them. Gran-Gran, Sokka, and I stood in the front of the group. The two appeared at the crest of the hill, and the children rushed to Aang with smiles. The adults, however, were quite the opposite.

"Gran-Gran..." Katara said when they reached us.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?!" Sokka said, pointing a finger at Aang. "You signaled the Fire Nation with that flare!"

"It was an accident!"

"Yeah. We went inside an old Fire Nation ship, and we accidentally tripped a booby trap," Aang said.

"Katara, you know better than to go in there," Gran-Gran said. "Now we're all in danger!"

"Please, don't blame her. I'm the one who brought her there. It's all my fault. "

"So, you confess your crimes! Kids, step away from the enemy. From now on, he is banned from this village," Sokka said.

"You're making a mistake!" Katara said.

"No, I'm keeping Dad's word. I promised him that I would protect you from threats like him."

"Aang isn't a threat!" Katara looked to Gran-Gran. "Grandmother, please... You've got to understand..."

"I'm sorry, Katara, but Sokka is right. It would be best if the airbender leaves," Gran-Gran said.

"Well, then... Then I guess I'm banished, too! Come on, Aang." Katara grabbed Aang's wrist and pulled him towards Appa, who snoozed in the snow.

"Where do you think you're going?" Sokka said.

"To the North Pole. Aang's going to help me find a waterbender who can teach me!"

My breath caught in my throat as my heart stung from her words.

"Stop, Katara!" Sokka cried. "Are you really going to choose him over your own family?"

Aang stepped to Katara's side. After exchanging a few words, Aang climbed onto Appa's back and looked at us.

"It was nice to meet you all," Aang said.

"How about seeing if you're bison can fly now?" Sokka said, his arms tightly folded.

"Come on, Appa. Yip yip!" Aang cracked the reins. With a groan, Appa climbed to his feet.

"Yeah, I thought so."

"Stop it, Sokka. That's enough," I hissed.

Aang guided Appa away.

* * *

Tension and fear filled the village as people prepared for the Fire Nation's arrival. Women guided their children into tents, instructing them to stay inside. The women snuffed out the large bonfire that was usually always lit in the center of the village.

Hours ticked away, but nothing happened. The more time that passed, the more my anxiety grew. Despite these years of isolation, I still wasn't prepared to see any Fire Nation people, much less warriors.

The air began to rumble, followed by the ground. I heard Gran-Gran gasp. Sokka, dressed in warrior attire, stood on the wall surrounding the village. Women ran to safety. I heard children crying. My breathing picked up.

Through the mist of the fog, the silhouette of a Fire Navy ship pierced through. Gran-Gran stood frozen in her place, and I held her shoulders and guided her to the others. The ship plowed through the ice. Katara rushed to help the villagers retreat to their tents.

"Sokka, get down from there!" I cried.

The ship hit the snow wall, creating a landslide. Sokka slid to the bottom. There was a hiss, and the ramp of the ship opened. Sokka scrambled out of the way as the ramp hit the snow. The villagers stepped out of their tents. The silence was too much to bear.

Stepping out first was a young man. In fact, he couldn't have been any older than me. Two guards followed him down the ramp. More filed out, some carrying spears while most were empty-handed. The boy's armor was different than the guards'.

I squinted to get a better look. _Is that... royal armor?_ Fear gripped me even tighter. _Who is that?_

Sokka scrambled to his feet and charged towards the boy. Before he could swing, the boy swung his foot twice, the first time knocking the club out of Sokka's hand and the second striking him in the face. Sokka flew off the ramp and landed headfirst in the pile of snow created from the damaged wall.

The guards stood back while the boy stepped in front of us. He examined the crowd, stopping in front of Katara and Gran-Gran. Up close, I could see the large scar covering the left side of his face, leaving his left eye in a permanent squint.

"Where are you hiding him?" he said. Everyone was silent. After a few moments, the boy thrust his arm out and grabbed the hood of Gran-Gran's overcoat, pulling her forward. "He'd be about this age? Master of all four elements?"

My eyes widened. _Is he talking about Aang?_ I thought. _Then... that means that he_ is _-!_

My thoughts were interrupted when the Fire Nation boy threw Gran-Gran back into Katara's arms. He swiped his hand, launching a fire blast at us. The women and children screamed. I heard weeping behind me. My heart refused to stop racing.

Sokka scooped his club off the ground and charged. The boy glanced behind him and shifted, launching Sokka over his shoulder. Sokka front flipped before hitting the ground. The boy reared his fist back. I gasped.

I planted my right foot in front of my left, my torso facing Sokka, and I thrust my right arm toward him. A wall of ice shot up from the ground. The boy unleashed a fireball from his hand, colliding with the ice. The fireball sizzled out quickly.

My insides trembled. _What have I gotten myself into?_ I turned my head and met the Fire Nation boy's angry amber eyes.

Sokka threw his boomerang; the boy leaned to the side to avoid it. I used this diversion to launch the ice wall at him. The boy swiped his hands, consumed in flames, vertically, creating enough fire to melt the wall before it reached him. I gasped.

I saw a glint in the sky. Sokka's boomerang flew back and hit the boy in the back of the head. He cried out and stumbled forward. Quickly fixing his helmet, he glared at me and Sokka. He clenched his fists, creating fire daggers. With a gulp, I stepped in front of Sokka and raised my hands.

Before the fight could ensue, a figure appeared at the top of the snow wall, sledding down towards us at fast speeds. Aang, riding a penguin otter, plowed right through the Fire Nation boy's legs, knocking him into the air and to the ground. The children cheered.

"Hey, guys. Did I miss anything?" Aang said.

"No. Thanks for coming..." Sokka said. I nodded, my breathing too heavy for me to speak.

The Fire Nation boy stood. His helmet had been knocked off, allowing a better look at his face. The only hair on his head was a black ponytail; the rest of his head was completely bald. I could see that his scar stretched even further back his head, consuming his left ear as well. He lacked eyelashes on that eye and an eyebrow. I found myself feeling sorry for him.

Aang swung his airbender staff, knocking the guards off their feet before sending a snow tsunami at the boy. He held his hands in front of his face and stood his ground. He looked up. The snow on his hands and shoulders melted, and steam billowed from him.

"Looking for me?" Aang said.

" _You're_ the Avatar?" the boy said.

My eyes widened. _So, he really_ is _..._

"I've spent years training and preparing for this encounter. I expected to be up against some old and wise. But you? You're just a child!"

Aang raised an eyebrow. "Well, you're just a teenager."

The _teenager_ didn't seem too happy being called that. He thrust his fist, launching a fireball at Aang. He rapidly spun his staff to redirect the fire. Unfortunately, he nearly redirected it at us. The women and children around me screamed as they shielded themselves from the fire.

Another cry filled my mind. I winced and raised my hands, ready to defend instead of run.

"If I go with you, will you leave these people alone?" Aang said. My eyes widened.

The boy stood up straight from his battle stance and nodded. Two guards stepped behind Aang; one took his staff while the other shoved him forward.

"Aang, no! Don't do this!" Katara cried.

"It'll be okay. Take care of Appa until I get back," Aang called over his shoulder before he was shoved again.

"Head a course for the Fire Nation!" the boy called as they all climbed the ramp. "I'm going home."

We all watched Aang stand in the ship, surrounded by Fire Nation guards, until the ramp closed. The ship pulled out and sailed away.

* * *

The silence the Fire Nation left was more melancholic than the one I suffered before they arrived. Everyone worked wordlessly as they repaired the villages: rebuilding the snow wall and tents, rekindling the fire, and silently comforting each other.

Katara stood on the edge of the ice and look out into the ocean. "We have to go after that ship." she said. Sokka passed by me, his arms filled with supplies. "I know you don't want to, but Aang saved our tribe. The least we can do is save him! I don't even want to think about what might happen to him if he gets to the Fire Nation. If we don't help him, no one will!"

"Hey!" Sokka cried. We turned around. Sokka pointed to the small canoe floating in the water next to him. "Are you ladies coming or what?"

Katara smiled. She rushed over and threw her arms around Sokka's neck. "You're the best brother ever!"

"I know. Now, let's go save your boyfriend."

"He's not my-!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever!"

A hand rested on my shoulder. I gasped and quickly turned my head, meeting my gaze with Gran-Gran.

"I believe you'll need these." Gran-Gran handed me a roll of sleeping bags. "Aang's destiny as the Avatar is to save the world. You three found him, which means your destinies are now intertwined with his." Gran-Gran smiled. "It's been a long time since I've had hope. It's all because of you."

Katara hugged Gran-Gran. I turned to Sokka.

"Do you really think this canoe is going to catch a warship?" I said. Sokka opened his mouth to reply, but a loud growl interrupted him. We looked and saw Appa appear over the crest of the hill. "Great timing, Appa."

"You guys just love putting me in uncomfortable situations, don't you?" Sokka mumbled.

We climbed on Appa's back and waved to Gran-Gran as Appa dove into the water and started to swim.

"Come on, Appa. I know you're able to fly," Katara said, petting Appa's head. "Please, we need you to find Aang."

"What were those words Aang said?" Sokka said. "Yeehaw? Hup hup? Wahoo?"

I perked up. "I think it was 'yip yip'."

Appa roared, startling the three of us. He lifted his giant tail, slapped it against the surface of the water, and in a matter of seconds, we were soaring through the air. I looked at the ocean from our vantage point with a smile.

"Wow..." I whispered. The hairs around my face stroked my cheeks.

"Warship at twelve o'clock!" Sokka cried.

We looked ahead and saw the ship ahead. Katara urged Appa to fly faster. Fireballs flashed from the surface of the ship, no doubt belonging to the scarred boy. We watched Aang's silhouette get closer and closer to the edge. The boy launched a series of fireballs, and Aang fell off the side of the boat and into the water.

"No! Aang!" Katara cried. " _Aang_!"

The water in front of the ship burst into a rising, swirling tornado. Aang sat at the top, his eyes and tattoos glowing white like when we first saw him. He landed back on the ship and flooded the grounds, knocking guards onto their backs. The scarred boy fell overboard.

"Oh, my goodness..." Katara gasped.

Appa landed on the ship. Aang groaned and collapsed to the ground.

"Aang, are you all right?" Katara said as she sat him up.

"Hey, guys... How's it going?" Aang said wearily.

"Let's get him on Appa and get out of here," I said. Sokka hoisted Aang over his shoulder and hurried as fast as he could to Appa. I looked up and noticed Aang's staff laying near the edge. I climbed to my feet and jogged over to it.

As I bent down to pick it up, another hand grabbed the other end. I gasped as the scarred boy dangled from the edge of the ship.

"Let go!" I cried, tugging at the staff. The boy held on and even tried to pull himself back onto the ship. I stomped my foot against the ship. A large column of ice shot up from the ocean below and smashed into the boy's stomach, launching him high up into the air. Clutching the staff close to my body, and turned and sprinted to Appa. I climbed up his tail and to the others. Some of the guards were frozen in ice.

"Did you do that?" I said to Katara. She nodded excitedly. I smiled and handed Aang his staff. "Nice job."

I glanced back at the guards, but someone else caught my eye. A stout, elderly man stood at the door to the control center of the ship. At the sight of Appa, he rubbed his eyes to make sure he didn't imagine him. His long, gray hair was connected to his thick beard, and a top-knot sat on the top of his head.

As I stared at the man, my jaw continued to sink lower and lower to the floor. The name spilled from my mouth.

"Iroh...?" I whispered, my tone matching the utter shock in my eyes.

"Appa, yip yip!" Aang cried, cracking the reins. Appa pounded his tail against the ship, and we took off into the sky. I lost my balance and fell on my butt.

The old man and I maintained eye contact until he was just a tiny dot on the ship. Although my voice was quiet, could be understand the shape of his name on my lips?

My thoughts raced. As the sight of Iroh replayed continuously, a shiver ran down my spine as I realized his mouth moved as well, saying a name I hadn't heard in many years.

"Ursa? Hello?" Katara said in my ear. I perked up and turned to my friends. "Are you all right?"

"Yes," I said quickly. "Just a little shaken up, that's all."

"Well, we were talking about heading to the Northern Water Tribe. Aang needs to learn waterbending, and I need to practice it as well. And who knows? Maybe you can find a solution to your icebending."

"Yeah..." I said, but Gran-Gran came to mind. I looked up at the sky. It was cloudy, but slivers of light peeked through and shined down on me.

 _The problem is within my own heart..._ I removed my gloves and stuck a hand in my pocket. The cold of the metal resting inside spread to all corners of my body, making me shiver. I bowed my head.


	4. The Southern Air Temple

"Wait until you see the Southern Air Temple. It's one of the most beautiful places in the world!" Aang said as he tightened the reins on Appa's horns.

Katara and I glanced at each other. I hoisted a sleeping bag to her, and she grabbed it and placed it inside the saddle.

"Listen, Aang..." Katara drawled. "It's been a really long time since you've been home. What if things are... different?"

"Then I'll see it for myself." Aang hopped off Appa and walked over to Sokka as he snored in his sleeping bag. "Wake up, Sokka! We've got to get going!"

"Five more minutes..." Sokka mumbled. He turned over in his sleeping bag.

Aang pouted, but it was immediately followed by a mischievous grin. He picked up a nearby twig.

"Look out, Sokka! There's a prickle snake in your sleeping bag!" Aang cried, running the twig up and down Sokka's sleeping bag.

Sokka's eyes shot open, and he leaped to his feet. "Get it off! Get it off!" he cried, hopping around. He tripped and fell back to the ground. Katara covered her mouth and giggled.

"Good, you're up. Now, let's go!" Aang said. Sokka scowled and mumbled under his breath.

I smiled and climbed up Appa's tail. From this view, I could see the orange sunrise. Aang hopped onto the saddle, startling me.

"Are you ready, Ursa?!" he cried.

"Um... yeah," I said. "I've never been to an air temple before."

"Then you're going to _love_ the Southern Air Temple. It'll take your breath away!"

He scurried to Appa's head, grabbed the reins, and sat down. Katara and Sokka climbed onto the saddle. The three of us exchanged glances.

No one had the heart to tell him.

* * *

"Look, look! Those are the Patola Mountains!" Aang cried, frantically pointing ahead. "That means we're almost there!"

Katara and I looked at each other. I looked between her and Aang, urging her with my facial expressions to go talk to him. She grimaced and crawled over to Aang.

"Hey, Aang..." Katara said. "There's something I need to tell you about the Southern Air Temple... You see, we've been at war for a hundred years because of the Fire Nation. They killed my mother; who's to argue that they haven't also done that to your people?"

"Just because people haven't seen an airbender doesn't mean they're gone. They probably escaped," Aang said casually. "Besides, the only way to get to an airbender temple is on a sky bison. There's no way the Fire Nation could reach them."

Katara sighed and sat back on her knees. We flew up the side of one of the mountains and through the circle of them. At the top of the center mountain sat the Southern Air Temple.

"There it is," Aang said with a smile. "Guys, welcome to my home."

"It's beautiful," Katara said.

As I stared at the temple, agony throbbed in my heart. Whatever was inside, I don't think I wanted to see it.

Appa landed at the foot of the temple. Long and winding paths lead up to it. We started our trek, Aang several paces ahead.

"Hurry up, you guys! I can't wait for you to meet everyone!" Aang said. He stopped at a turn and pointed below to a field with many wooden poles sticking up in the air. "There's where my friends and I played airball. Next to that is where the bison would sleep..." Aang's voice trailed off, and he sighed. "This place used to be so full of life, but without everyone here, there's nothing but weeds. So much has changed..."

I winced inwardly when he said 'life'.

"So..." Sokka said, stepping next to Aang. "How do you play airball?"

Aang grinned, grabbed Sokka's arm, and hopped off the ledge, using the wind currents to carry them down to the field.

"What are you doing?" I said to Katara. I gestured to the air temple. "Why are you trying to hide this from him?"

"I just... can't find it in me to tell him," Katara said as she watched Sokka try to balance on the poles. "I guess we're just trying to make him feel good for as long as possible..."

"Before we bury him into the ground? He'll find out eventua-"

My eyes fell to the ground, and I gasped. A rusted Fire Nation helmet sat in a bush. I knelt to touch it, only to retract my hand and jump back on my feet immediately before I got close. I turned back to Katara.

"You can't protect him from the truth forever."

Katara avoided my eyes.

* * *

We reached the entrance of the temple. A large, empty fountain sat in the middle of the tiny plaza. Aang jogged around it and stood in front of a statue of a monk.

"I want you to meet Monk Gyatso." Aang turned to us and gestured to the statue. "He's the greatest airbender in the entire world, and a really good friend of mine."

Aang bowed to the statue. Katara placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You must miss him terribly," she said.

"Yeah... I do." Aang climbed up the stairs to the door.

"Where are you going?"

"To the Air Temple's sanctuary. There's someone there I need to meet."

"Meet?" We followed Aang to the doors of the sanctuary. "How could anyone be in there? No one's lived here for one hundred years."

"It's not impossible. I survived in an iceberg for that long."

Aang took a deep breath and thrust his arms towards the door. Air flowed out of his palms and into the open ends of the giant mechanism hanging on the door. The three blue stones with swirled patterns flipped over, showing a purple side and blowing air out the center. The latches unhinged, and the doors slowly opened.

"Hello?" Aang called, stepping inside. We hurried in after him. The light from outside leaked into the room, and we saw multiple rows of statues. I looked up and saw many more statues on shelf-like ledges, extending as far as I could see into the darkness.

"Statues? That's it?" Sokka said as we passed by them. "Who are these people anyways?"

"I'm not sure... but I feel like I know them from somewhere," Aang said. He pointed to one of the statues, which had arrow tattoos like him. "That one's an airbender."

"And here's a waterbender!" Katara said, pointing to the fur-cladded person standing next to the airbender. "They're all lined up in a certain elemental pattern: air, water, earth, and fire."

"That's the Avatar cycle."

"Oh! I get it!" I cried. I spread my arms out to the sides. "These statues must represent the past Avatars."

Aang approached a particular statue. He had long hair and beard with a topknot. He held his hands together, and his long sleeves covered them.

My eyes were drawn to his top knot, which had a headpiece over it.

 _The Crown Prince headpiece._ A chill rushed down my spine as I stared at this Avatar.

"Helloooo? Earth to benders!" Sokka waved his hands in front of mine and Aang's faces. I blinked.

"Who is that?" I said.

"That's Avatar Roku, the Avatar before me," Aang said.

"How do you know his name? There's no writing," Katara said.

"I just know it."

"You always manage to outdo your weirdness," Sokka said.

A low moan echoed through the room. We tensed and turned to the door. A shadow appeared on the floor. We jumped behind the nearest Avatar statues. Sokka pressed a finger over his lips and reached for his club. Taking a deep breath, he leaped out.

"What the...?" he said, lowering the club.

We peeked out from the statues. A small winged lemur stood in the doorway, chattering curiously.

"A lemur!" Aang cried. He jumped out from behind the statue. The lemur tensed, turned around, and sprinted down the hallway. "Wait! Come back!"

Aang ran out of the room. We climbed to our feet and ran down the hallway after Aang. Up ahead, the lemur jumped onto the edge of a balcony. It jumped off, and Aang didn't hesitate to leap off the balcony.

"Aang!" Katara cried from the balcony. His laughter faded as he plunged down the cliffside after the lemur.

"We'll go after him," I said to Katara. She nodded.

We turned back and headed back in the direction of the sanctuary. Sokka and I turned the corner when an opening came while Katara headed back to the sanctuary. Below, we saw Aang crawl through a tattered brown sheet acting as a door for a worn-down building. We jogged down the path.

"Aang, don't go running off like-" Sokka said, but his voice stopped when she stepped completely inside. I heard sniffling. I gulped before I stepped inside.

My throat closed. The roof was a brown sheet with tears, allowing light to leak in and let me see the inside of the room. The floor was covered with a layer of ash. Piles of skeletons lined the left side of the room, each donning Fire Nation armor. Their arms were stretched out, reaching towards the skeleton that sat against a pile of fur at the end of the room. A ray of light shined down on it, and I could see their decaying monk robes. Around its neck was a necklace made of blue beads. A wooden pendant with the air symbol carved into it sat in the middle.

Aang was on his knees, doubled over and weeping.

"Aang..." Sokka said. He stepped closer to Aang and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, everything will be all right. Let's get out of here."

Aang lifted his head. His arrow tattoo glowed white. Sokka took a step back. Aang slowly climbed to his feet. The wind began to pick up, harshly blowing my hair back. An air dome surrounded Aang.

"Aang, calm down!" Sokka cried. The dome hit him, and he flew back, crashing into me. We tumbled out of the building. A few moments later, the building exploded. We landed behind a large piece of cement. I crawled to my knees and peeked out from behind the rubble.

"What happened?!" Katara cried. She approached us like she was walking through space, the strong winds making it hard to progress forward.

"He found out that the firebenders killed Gyatso!" Sokka shouted over the winds.

"Oh, no... This must be his Avatar State." Katara looked at Aang. The air dome around him grew. "I'm going to try and calm him down."

"Hurry before he blows us off the mountain!"

Katara stepped out from behind the rubble and slowly trudged towards Aang. The winds grew even stronger, and I clung desperately to the rubble. Aang lifted into the air.

"Aang! It's me, Katara!" Katara cried. "Please, listen to me! I know it hurts to see all of this- to see your loved ones gone. I know what that feels like. But that doesn't mean that Gyatso and the others are gone! They're still with you! You still have a family! Sokka, Ursa, and I are here! We're your family now!"

Slowly, Aang lowered himself back to the ground. The winds stopped. Aang stood with his back to us, his tattoos still glowing. The three of us approached him.

"We'll always be here," Sokka said. "We won't let anything bad happen to you."

Katara reached out and grabbed Aang's hand. The glow faded from his tattoos. With a groan, Aang collapsed. Katara opened her arms and caught him.

"I'm sorry..." Aang whispered.

"It's okay," Katara said, holding him tightly. Sokka placed a hand on his shoulder. I stuffed my hands inside my pockets.

* * *

Back in the sanctuary, Aang stood in front of Roku's statue.

"You ready to go?" Katara said.

"Yes," Aang said. He sighed. "How is Roku supposed to help me if I can't talk to him?"

"I'm not sure. But you're the Avatar; I'm sure there's a way."

The low moan from earlier returned. We turned to the door and saw the lemur. He hopped over to Sokka and placed a small pile of fruit at his feet.

"For me?" Sokka said. He plopped onto the ground and devoured the fruit.

The lemur climbed up Aang and sat on his head, its long tail wrapped around his neck.

"Looks like we have a new addition to the team," Aang said.

"What are you going to name him?" Katara said.

Aang held his arm out, and the lemur perched on it. As Sokka raised a peach to his mouth, the lemur snatched it back and nibbled on it.

"Momo," Aang said.

"Hey, that's mine!" Sokka cried. The rest of us laughed.


	5. The Warriors of Kyoshi

"How long until you're going to realize we're hopelessly lost?" Sokka said, shaking the map in his hands. "You have no idea where the North Pole is, do you?"

"Well... I know it's near water. And it's north from here," Aang said. Sokka sighed and buried his face back into the map.

With each minute sending us further away from the south side of the world, the temperature rose. The heat of the sun soaked through my overcoat, causing me to sweat. I unbuttoned my coat and pulled it off. I wore three layers of shirts: a light blue, sleeveless vest at the top, a long, blue, sleeveless tunic with white trim underneath, and a midnight blue, three-quarter sleeved shirt as the bottom layer. The vest had a square neckline that sat underneath the bust, and the bottom of my tunic had a split front, the sides extending past my rear. Leather ties with feathers at the end cinched the waist. My pants were the same midnight blue as my shirt, and my moccassins were brown. Sarashi was wrapped securely around my arms and legs, meeting the ends of my clothes and covering the parts of my skin that would have otherwise been exposed. Slabs of leather were tied to the fronts of my legs and arms, over the sarashi.

Glancing up to make sure no one was looking, I reached into my overcoat's pocket and pulled out a golden, three-pronged headpiece shaped like a flame. I looked back on a while ago and seeing Iroh for the first time in five years. The surprise on his face perfectly mimicked mine.

 _What was he doing on that ship anyways?_ I thought. _Don't tell me he's working for that guy who's after Aang..._

Closing my fingers around it, I placed the headpiece in my pant pocket.

An island came into view, and Aang directed Appa to land on its shores.

"Didn't we stop a few hours ago? We should keep flying," Sokka said.

"Well... Appa needs a break," Aang said. Appa gave a half-hearted roar. "Look!"

Aang pointed ahead. A giant elephant koi leaped out of the water.

"That there is why we're here. Don't tell me you've never been elephant koi riding!" Aang said, taking off his pants and shirt, wearing orange swimtrunks underneath. "Check this out!"

"Wait, Aang!" Sokka said.

Aang leaped into the water. We glanced at each other in disbelief. Aang swam out into the water and dove underneath for a brief moment. The elephant koi emerged again, with Aang hanging to its dorsal fin. Two more swam alongside the first one. I could see him waving and hear his laughter from the shore.

One of the koi fished started to leap, but something beneath the surface grabbed it and yanked it underwater. I straightened and squinted to see better. A large shadow, at least five times bigger than the elephant koi, swam towards the one Aang was riding on.

"What's _that_?" I said, pointing at the shadow.

The elephant koi stopped abruptly, launching Aang off and into the water. A tall, gray, pointed finlet stuck out of the water, covering Aang in its shadow. He screamed, leaping out of the water and sprinting on it as if it were regular land. The sea monster chased after him. Aang crashed into Sokka, and they tumbled past the sand and to the line separating it and snow.

"What was that thing?" Katara said.

"No idea," Aang said, casually putting his clothes back on and acting as if he didn't almost just get eaten.

"I say we move on and not wait to find out," Sokka said, standing up and shaking sand out of his overcoat.

Green-cladded bodies dropped from the trees, moving so quickly I couldn't fully see. A pair of arms grabbed mine and yanked them behind my back. Rope secured my wrists together, and a thin, black blindfold covered my eyes. A hand shoved against my back, knocking me to the ground. I grunted as the wind was forced out of my lungs. I heard my friends fall beside me. The ground disappeared as I was lifted and draped over someone's shoulder. We started to move.

"I guess we'll stay for a little longer..." Sokka said.

* * *

I heard the chatter of people as we walked. The environment shifted suddenly, becoming more social. I assumed we had just entered a town. I was put down and shoved against something large and wooden. A person was placed on either side of me. Another rope dug into my stomach, pressing my wrists uncomfortably against the object. Running my fingers over it, it felt like a pole.

"So," said the voice of an older man, "you all have some explaining to do."

"Answer our questions honestly, or else you'll face the consequences," another voice said, this time belonging to a girl.

"Why don't you show your faces, you cowards?!" Sokka said next to me.

A hand reached out, pinched the blindfold around my eyes, and ripped it off. I blinked several times to adjust back to the light. Wedged between Sokka and Aang, we stared at the five women standing in front of us, each wearing armored, green kimonos and metal headdresses. The skin tones of their faces were undetectable due to the white makeup covering it.

"Who are you and why are you here?" the girl said with folded arms. She stood next to an elderly man dressed in blue robes.

"Shouldn't _you_ introduce yourselves first? After all, you did kidnap us. Not telling us your names is just rude," Sokka said. The girl scowled, stepped forward, and grabbed Sokka by the collar of his overcoat.

"Don't talk back to me unless it's the answer I'm looking for."

"Don't hurt him!" Katara said. "Please, forgive him. My brother lacks a filter."

The girl released Sokka and stepped back.

"I'm sorry. It's all my fault," Aang said. "I just wanted to ride the elephant koi."

"How do we know you're not a bunch of Fire Nation spies?" the man said. A hot flash rose in my chest. "Because of Kyoshi, we've managed to stay out of the war, and we intend to keep it that way."

"Kyoshi? As in _Avatar_ Kyoshi?" Aang said. His eyes lit up. "I know her!"

The old man laughed out loud. "How could you possibly know Kyoshi? She's been dead for hundreds of years."

"I know her because... I'm the Avatar."

The old man's face filled with shock. The girl scowled.

"How dare you make such a ridiculous claim!" she said. Aang grinned.

"Throw the impostor to the unagi!" the old man said. The warriors plucked fans from their belts and approached us.

"Aang, do something," I mumbled through the side of my mouth.

"Right," Aang said. He leaped into the air and flipped over Kyoshi's statue that stood at the top of the pole. The ropes around his wrists snagged against her fan and snapped in half. Aang floated back to the ground and looked up at everyone's surprised expressions. "Do you believe me now?"

"P-Please forgive us, Avatar," the elderly man said.

"It's okay," Aang said.

"But could you let _us_ go?" Sokka called.

The man nodded. The warriors swiped their fans at the ropes, cutting through them. They fell off my body, and I stood up straight and rubbed my aching wrists.

"Welcome, Avatar and friends, to Kyoshi Island. My name is Oyaji. These ladies here are the Kyoshi Warriors. They protect our beloved Kyoshi's homeland," the old man said. "Please, make yourselves at home. We'll escort you to a place where you may rest."

"Thanks!" Aang said.

* * *

The next morning, delicious scents filled my nostrils. I woke up and followed the smell to the upper floor. Many plates filled with sweets lined a long table.

"Wow," I said, kneeling at the table and picking up a sweet roll, "it's been a while since I've had something other than fish."

"I wish we could eat like this every day," Aang said, alternating his bites between the two rolls in his hands. "Sokka, if you don't hurry, I'm going to it everything."

"I'm not hungry," Sokka mumbled, his arms crossed tightly.

"But you're _always_ hungry. What's wrong?"

"He's mad that a bunch of girls handed his butt to him yesterday," Katara said.

"They caught me off guard!" Sokka cried. He jumped to his feet, grabbed some rolls, and stormed out of the room, all while murmuring under his breath.

"This is a really nice place. I can't believe how great they've been treating us," Aang said.

"Don't let it go to your head," I said. Momo purred as he blindly ran his hand along the table for something to eat. I pushed a roll towards his paw, and he snatched it and gobbled it up underneath the table. "We shouldn't stay here for too long. That guy we met at the South Pole is really dedicated to capturing you."

"I won't let it go to my head. I'm just a simple monk who just happens to also be the Avatar," Aang said. "See, they're fixing the Kyoshi statue!"

I looked out the window from my seat and saw two men on ladders cleaning up Kyoshi's statue with brooms and paint. Aang leaned out the window, which was immediately followed by the screams of fangirls below. Aang blushed and waved to them.

Katara rolled her eyes and folded her arms.

* * *

While Aang was busy playing with the girls here on the island, Katara went to the market to go get food. I gathered the leftover foods from breakfast and bundled them up for the trip. I looked out the window. Kyoshi's statue was finished. The new coat of green and gold paint shimmered from the light of the setting sun. I climbed to my feet and walked to the window. Placing my arms on the window sill, I leaned out watched the village's bustle. Villagers chatted with one another, gathered resources from the small booths scattered across the square, and gazed up at the restored statue of their beloved Avatar.

As I watched from above, a small smile filled my lips.

* * *

 _"How are you feeling, Ashe?" Ursa said as she sat at my bedside._

 _"Great!" I said, throwing my blankets off my legs._

 _"Be careful. It's been a month since you woke up, and you've spent all that time in bed. Walking is going to be an unfamiliar activity."_

 _"But I'm_ bored _! I want to do some exploring! Pleeeease?"_

 _Ursa smiled. "All right."_

 _I grinned and planted my feet on the ground. I pushed off the bed and onto my feet._

 _"Whoa!" I cried as my knees collapsed. Immediately, a pair of arms wrapped around me, halting my descent to the ground._

 _"See?" Ursa said. "Just take it slowly. I'll keep you going."_

 _I nodded. Ursa held my hands and we stood up. With the height difference, my arms were up above my head. I felt like a toddler learning to walk for their first time: my pace was slow and awkward, my steps clumsy, and my leg muscles trembling from their sudden use._

 _The doors opened, and Zuko poked his head in._

 _"What's going on?" he said, stepping inside._

 _"I'm helping Ashe regain her muscles," Ursa said._

 _"Oh... Can I help, too?"_

 _"I don't see why not. Is that all right, Ashe?"_

 _I nodded. Zuko opened the bedroom door all the way. Ursa released one of my hands, and I reached out and gripped Zuko's hand. Slowly, the three of us made our way to the door. My feet slid across the carpet, the fibers scratching lightly against my toes. Sweat trickled down the back of my neck from exertion. I looked up and around at the never-ending hallway. The pillars lining the edges of the rug stretched all the way to the ceiling, which was several feet above us. Arched windows, one every few feet, showed glimpses of the outside._

 _"Whoa..." I said, quietly panting. Outside, I saw multiple patches of flowers, trees swaying in the light breeze, and a pond with turtle ducks swimming on its surface. I even saw a small, shaded gazebo in the corner. "Can we go out there?"_

 _"After you've regained your muscles enough to walk on your own. For now, we don't want to exhaust you. Let's go back to your room. I asked that some stew be made for you."_

 _I grinned. "Yay!"_

 _Ursa chuckled as we entered my room. Zuko released my hand, and Ursa helped me back into bed._

* * *

 _A steady tap pulled me from my dreams. I cracked my eyes open with a grumble and shoved my pillow over my head. The tapping continued- in fact, it got a little louder. I sat up in bed and rubbed my eyes. I looked to the window on the right wall, where the tapping was coming from. I swung my legs over to the side of my bed. Gripping the bed post, I pulled myself up to my feet. I stretched my left foot out as far as I could, which was a few feet short from the window seat. Taking a deep breath, I pushed off the bed post as hard as I could._

 _My legs crumbled beneath me. I reached out, and my arms hit the seat. My knees hit the ground, sending shooting pains up my body. I rested my cheek against the cushion and caught my breath. There was a pause in the tapping, as if the person heard me fall. I hoisted my body onto the seat, gripped the curtains, and pulled them back._

 _Zuko stood on the other side of the glass, almost completely veiled by the darkness. He pointed to the latch. I unlocked the window and pushed it open._

 _"What are you doing? It's late," I said, resting my arms on the window sill and laying my chin on them._

 _"Want to explore the gardens?" Zuko said._

 _I lifted my head. "But your mom said..."_

 _"Come on. Don't you want to see what's out here? I've never been out at night, so it'll be new for the both of us."_

 _I glanced back at my feet dangling off the edge of the seat. "I can't walk though..."_

 _Zuko smiled and patted his hand against his chest. "Leave it all to me. Hop on!" Zuko turned his back to me and bent his knees. I watched him for a moment. He glanced over his shoulder and at me with a smile._

 _I nodded. I gripped the window sill and hoisted my knees onto it. I swung my legs over and sat on the sill._

 _"Here I come," I said. I pushed off the sill and fell on Zuko's back. I wrapped my legs around his torso and my arms around his neck like a baby koala otter. He stood up and held my legs._

 _"Are you all right?" Zuko said. I nodded. He stepped through the bushes._

 _All color was blocked by darkness, but the moon shining down helped me to see where things were. Crickets chirped from their hiding places. I reached up and brushed my fingers against a cluster of leaves hanging from the thin branch of a tree. Something darted out of the leaves, and I gasped and yanked my hand away. I watched a tiny squirrel toad land on the ground and hop as quickly as it could to the nearest bush._

 _"Look," Zuko whispered. I peeked over his shoulder. Seated in the center of the pond, a mother turtle duck and her babies softly spoke to one another. Zuko reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bag of breadcrumbs. "Mom and I always feed the turtle ducks when they come to visit."_

 _Zuko knelt at the edge of the pond. I crawled off his back and sat next to him. The rustling of the bag caught the turtle ducks' attention. He held out a small handful of breadcrumbs. Two babies swam over to us and nibbled out of Zuko's hand._

 _"Try it." Zuko offered the bag to me. I accepted it, reached inside, and pulled out a single piece of bread pinched between my fingers. I nervously offered it to one of the babies. It swam to my fingers, tilted its head slightly, and snatched the bread away._

 _I gasped loudly and pulled my hand back. "It ate it!"_

 _Zuko snickered. I grinned and pulled a large handful out of the bag. I held my palm out. The entire family of ducks swarmed to my hand and ate from it. Zuko took the rest out and fed them. Once all the bread was gone, the turtle ducks quacked their thanks and swam back to the center of the pond. Zuko and I looked at each other and laughed gleefully._

 _"Want to see something cool?" Zuko said. I squirmed in my seat excitedly. Zuko held out the palm of his head and created a small flame. The flame danced in front of me. I gasped and reached out for it. Zuko pulled his hand away. "Don't touch it. I don't want to burn you."_

 _I nodded. Zuko brought the flame up between us again. I hovered my hands over his, feeling the warmth of the tiny flame._

 _"It's call firebending. Azula and Dad can do this, too... a lot better than me, however."_

 _"Is that what you think?" I said. I cupped Zuko's hand in mine and stared at the flame. "Fire is fire, right? I haven't seen them do this, but it looks perfect to me."_

 _I noticed Zuko go quiet. I lifted my eyes from the flame. Zuko stared at me in silent surprise. Had the flame not illuminated our faces, I wouldn't have seen his light pink cheeks. I flashed a toothy grin; Zuko returned it._

* * *

A long, loud blast from a horn pierced the air; the horn of a Fire Navy warship. I gasped and stood up straight, my heart immediately increasing in its pace.

 _They're here?_ I backed away from the window, ran down the stairs, and exited the building. I had to find the others.

Villagers rushed into their homes. Store owners closed up shop and hid inside their booths. I jumped out of the way as the gaggle of Aang's fangirls were guided to safety by Oyaji.

"Ursa!" I turned around and saw Sokka run towards me, dressed like a Kyoshi Warrior. I was too distracted by the adrenaline pumping in my blood to ask. "Where are Aang and Katara?"

"I don't know, but the Fire Nation will be here any minute!" I said. "What are we going to do?"

"We're going to fight," said Suki, the interrogating Kyoshi Warrior from yesterday. "Girls, get into position. This is what we've trained for."

The other Kyoshi Warriors nodded and split up, sprinting in different directions. Sokka turned to me.

"Help us out," he said.

"But all my bending consists of training. You saw me back at the South Pole- it was embarrassing," I said.

"Ursa, I'm wearing makeup and a dress. If anyone's embarrassed, it should be me," Sokka said. "The only way you'll get better is if you find a place to start. You already did that, so now you can only improve."

We heard heavy footsteps. I glanced down the path and saw a small fleet of komodo rhinos heading our way. Sokka grabbed my arm and pulled me down the small alley between two houses.

"Find him," barked the scarred, Fire Nation boy from the South Pole. The komodo rhinos grunted as they carried their riders down the empty dirt street. Above me, a Kyoshi Warrior leaped from one rooftop to the other. Sokka gave me a thumbs up and hurried out of the alley. I crept to the edge of the alley and peered out.

The Kyoshi Warriors jumped from the rooftops, knocking Fire Nation guards off their rhinos. Suki sprinted past one collapsed guard and towards the scarred boy. He threw fireballs at Suki, but she dodged them. She leaped into the air, but the scarred boy turned his rhino around, smacking its tail into Suki and brushing her aside. The boy threw another fireball, but Sokka jumped in the way and blocked it with his fan. A Kyoshi Warrior tackled the boy off his rhino and onto the porch of a nearby house.

I took another step out of the alley. The three Kyoshi Warriors surrounded the scarred boy. With a growl, he spun around while spewing fire from his feet, knocking the warriors away. He stepped back onto the street and looked around.

Our eyes met. I gasped quietly.

"I remember you," he said. "You're that icebender from the South Pole."

He reeled his fist back and shot a fireball at me. I stumbled back into the alley, pressing my back against the side of the house.

"Come out and fight me!" Another blast of heat hit the side of my face. My heart throbbed in my chest. I clenched my fists.

I ran out of the alley. A fireball flew directly towards my face. I stretched my arms to the side before quickly tucking them back against my torso. The snow on top of the rooftops flew to my aid, hardening and creating a wall in front of me. I heard the fire sizzle. Waving my arms in front of me, the ice began to crack. I thrust my right arm forward, palm facing out. The ice shattered into sharp spikes and flew towards the scarred boy. He jumped vertically into the air, acrobatically dodging the spikes. I swung my arm around my head. The water from the air clung to my fingers and hardened to small ice claws that covered the top half of my fingers. I thrust my hands forward, launching the claws at the boy. He swung his arm, batting the claws away.

"Is that all you've got?" he called. I breathed deeply and quietly to try to hide my already fatiguing body.

"Hey!" a voice called. The boy turned his back to me to face Aang.

"There you are," the boy mumbled. He launched a couple of fireballs at Aang. He dodged them.

"Ursa!" Katara ran over to me and held my arm. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," I panted. I finally observed my surroundings. Houses and shops were damaged and on fire. People were rushing to safety, away from the chaos. "Oh, no..."

"This is all my fault," Aang said. The scarred boy crawled out from a giant hole in the side of a house that Aang blasted him into.

"We've got to get out of here. The Fire Nation's after us. When we leave, they'll follow."

Aang looked around at the burning village. His shoulders slumped and he bowed his head. "I'll call Appa."

Appa arrived after a few moments, and we climbed in the saddle and took off. I turned and looked down at the burning village. Kyoshi's statue, which had been renovated this morning, had one side consumed with flames.

"I know it was a hard thing to do, but if we stayed, the village would've been completely destroyed," Katara said in an attempt to comfort Aang. "They'll be okay."

Aang gripped Appa's reins. He threw them down, stood up, and jumped off.

"Aang!" we called as he dove into the water below. There were a few moments of silence. The water rippled, followed by the unagi bursting from the water. Aang stood on its head, holding onto the black whiskers that hung from its nose. He gave them a hard yank. The unagi roared, involuntarily spewing water from its mouth. The water rained down on the town, distinguishing the fires and dousing the Fire Nation guards.

The unagi bucked its head, sending Aang into the air. Appa swooped down and grabbed Aang with his paws.

"I know, that was a stupid and dangerous thing to do," Aang said, climbing onto the saddle and sitting down.

"Yes. It really was," Katara said with a small smile. She threw her arms around Aang, who grinned.


	6. The King of Omashu

"Ladies and Sokka," Aang said, earning a scowl from Sokka, "I present to you the Earth Kingdom's city of Omashu!"

A long, winding path led to the large city made completely out of rock. A large wall was built around the perimeter of the city.

"I've never seen a city like this before in the South Pole," Katara said.

"It would probably melt before we could finish building it," I said.

"Come on, let's go check it out!" Aang said, sliding down the hill.

"Wait, Aang!" Sokka said. "You can't go around looking like that. If people find out you're the Avatar, it could put you in danger. We need to find you a disguise."

"Okay, so what am I suppose to do?"

"Don't worry, Aang," I patted Appa's leg, "I think Appa's okay with lending you some of his fur."

We brushed Appa, cleaning the shedded fur off his body. Tying a rope around a large bundle of fur to hold it together, we fit it on Aang's head. Then, we took a smaller bundle and stuck it underneath his nose for a mustache.

"It's so itchy..." Aang mumbled, wrinkling his nose and scratching his head.

"You know, with that disguise, you kind of look like our grandfather," Sokka said.

"He sure is old enough to be one," Katara said.

"Really?" Aang picked up his staff and slouched his shoulder, acting like and elderly man and using his staff as his walking cane. "Let's get moving, young whippersnappers. The city awaits!"

He hobbled away. The three of us glanced between each other.

* * *

We followed the narrow, earth path to the gates of Omashu.

"Just wait until we get inside. You're going to love Omashu!" Aang said. "Everyone here is so friendly."

On cue, we heard a shout from up ahead, "What kind of city do you think we run here?! Keep your rotten cabbages away from here!"

A cabbage merchant stood before a triad of Earth Kingdom guards. One of them, holding a cabbage, shredded it to pieces. He thrust his foot into the ground, creating a fissure in the ground that traveled to the cabbage cart behind the vendor. The earth jutted up beneath the cart, launching it into the air and sending it plunging to the ground far below.

"My cabbage!" the vendor cried. We glanced down below with wide eyes.

"Come along, guys," Aang said, plastering on a big grin.

As we approached the guards, the center one broke a boulder out from the ground and hung it over Aang.

"State your business," he said.

Aang stepped out from underneath the rock and shoved his finger into the guard's chest. "How dare you treat your elderly like this! You're lucky I don't paddle your backside for being brash!"

The guard, taken aback, released the boulder. It crashed next to us, making us jump. We stared in disbelief.

"Settle down... sir," the guard said. "Just tell us your name."

"The name's Bonzu Pipinpadaloxicopolis III! These are my lovely grandchildren!" Aang said.

I shoved Katara forward. She caught her balance and stepped next to Aang. "Hi! I'm June Pipinpadaloxicopolis. Nice to meet you. Over there are my brother and sister... Yan and Elena."

The guard looked between the four of us. Sokka and I wore wide grins.

"You children seem responsible. Keep an eye on your grandfather. Enjoy Omashu," the guard said, waving us forward.

The guards opened the city gates. They slowly closed behind us as we entered.

"See? That worked out well," Aang said. We gazed up at the multiple chutes that wrapped around the city. Carts glided down the chutes, carrying cargo. "This is the mail deliver system. These tubes and chutes go on for miles and miles. Earthbending brings to packages up, and gravity pulls them down."

"And all of this is super interesting because...?" Sokka said.

"I used to come here all the time to hang out with my friend, Bumi. He found an even better way to use these chutes," Aang said, a mischievous grin on his face. "This way."

We followed Aang to a higher point in the city. An empty mail cart sat near a slope, and Aang used his airbending to push it to the edge.

"All aboard!" Aang cried, climbing to the front of the cart.

"Do I really have to?" I said.

"If we die during this, you're not getting spared," Sokka said, pointing at the cart. "Get in."

With a pout, I carefully climbed inside behind Katara, followed by Sokka.

"Everyone ready?" Aang said. "Please keep your hands and feet inside the cart at all times... unless you want to throw your hands in the air. That's totally fine."

"What about the North Pole? Do you really think we should be wasting our time with this?" Katara said.

"We'll ride this once, and _then_ the North Pole- airbender promise. Now, let's _go_!"

Aang pushed the cart forward, and we plunged down the slope. The air whipped against my face and clogged my throat, making it hard for me to scream. Sokka, however, screamed plenty for the both of us. At the front, I could hear Aang laughing.

"I'm having second thoughts!" Katara cried.

"It's a little late for that!" I said, digging my fingers into her shoulders.

Our chute paralleled with another, and we rode alongside a cart carrying a rack of sharp spears. The two chutes merged into one, and the spears drew closer, threatening to skewer us.

"Aang!" Sokka cried, ducking to avoid the spears.

"Don't worry, I got this!" Aang called over his shoulder. He rocked the chute back and forth, creating enough momentum to steer the cart off the chute. We screamed as we plunged to the markets below. We slid down the roof of a building, ripping off the green tiles and leaving a naked trail. The cart careened to a group of Earth Kingdom soldiers. "Coming through!"

They watched us pass with shock and disbelief. We crashed through a series of mail carrier conveyor belts, destroying the paths and throwing carts onto their sides. We plunged off the conveyor belts and landed inside another chute.

"Aang, do something!" Katara said.

"Okay!" Aang said. He swung his arms out and behind him, creating a gust of wind and launching the cart even faster down the chute. The slope dropped.

" _That's not what I meant_!"

"Is it too late to jump out?!" I cried, but it came out as laughing from the tickling sensation in my stomach from the deep slope.

At the end of the slope, we saw an earthbender directing cargo. We screamed as we crashed into a cart. Our cart flipped over, tossing us out. We flailed in the air. Aang twisted his body, directing the cart back to us. We pulled each other back into the cart. The cart drove off a roof and plunged straight down. We crashed into a cabbage booth. The cart and the booth shattered, and we tumbled out and landed on each other in a pile.

"My cabbages!" the cabbage vendor from before cried. Guards surrounded us, wielding spears. They yanked us to our feet.

* * *

The guards guided us to Omashu's Palace and to the throne room, where the King sat in his throne. As we approached him, I could see his unusual appearance. He wore long, green robes, but they didn't hide the hunch in his shoulders. His headpiece had long tusks sticking out the sides. He had a rather long face, wild eyes, and bushy white hair on his head and chin.

We lined up in front of the King, shame written on our faces. He raised his eyebrow when we looked at us, muttering a curious, "Hm?" The guards behind us made us kneel.

"Your Majesty, these juveniles were arrested for vandalism, traveling under false pretenses, and malicious abuse of cabbages," one guard said.

"Off with their heads, I say! Make them feel what my cabbages felt!" the cabbage vendor cried.

The guard glared at the vendor, shutting him up. "What is your judgment of punishment for them, sir?"

The King eyed each of us. I turned away, unable to look into his crazy eyes.

"Throw them..." the King said. We perked up. "...a feast!"

The guards mumbled to each other. We glanced at each other in bewilderment. We were escorted to the dining room, which was already had different kinds of meat, fish, and grains spread out on the table. I picked up a small bowl of stew and quietly slurped.

"Does anyone else find something strange about this whole thing?" Katara mumbled.

"If this keeps us from rotting in a dungeon, then I'm all for it," Sokka said, chewing on a chicken bone.

Bumi sat in his chair across the table from us, which was considerably larger than ours.

"Tell me, young bald one," said the King, "where are you from?"

"Um... far away from here," Aang said. "You've probably never heard of it."

"Interesting... Well, I'd _love_ to hear more about this far away place..."

The King reached into his robe and threw a drumstick at Aang. _Why_ he had a drumstick in there, I didn't want to know; the guy's crown had horns that defied gravity- I gave up on questioning his habits. Aang instinctively stretched his hands out, catching the drumstick in a ball of air. The guards and servants gasped.

"There is an airbender in our presence... and not just any airbender: the Avatar!" the King said, standing up from his chair for emphasis. Aang hid his hands, dropping the drumstick onto his plate. "So... What do you have to say for yourself, Mr. Pipinpadaloxicopolis?"

"Um... There's a good explanation for all of this," Sokka said.

"Okay, okay, you caught me." Aang stood from his chair. "I'm the Avatar. You know, keeping peace in the world and maintaining balance between the nations. See? There are no firebenders here. Mission accomplished!" Aang yanked us to our feet and dragged us to the door. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we'll be on our way!"

The guards standing at the door criss-crossed their spears, prohibiting our escape. The King picked up a drumstick and took a bite out of it.

"Tomorrow, the Avatar will face three deadly challenges," the King said. Tiny pieces of chicken flew from his mouth and landed on the table. I cringed. "For now, the guards will escort you to your chambers."

The guards took our arms and led us out of the room. We came to a wall. They pounded their feet into the ground, creating a hole in the wall. They shoved us through and closed the hole.

"This is the nicest prison cell I've ever seen," Katara said. Green crystals were placed inside a torch holder, which acted as light. Four beds dressed with green blankets were angled so the heads faced each other. A small table was set in the middle, with a small bowl filled with nuts on the top. "That crazy King can't keep us in here. There's got to be a way out of here."

"There's an air vent over there," Aang said, pointing to a small hole in the wall.

"And who exactly is going to be able to fit in there?" Sokka said.

Aang walked over to a bed and plucked a sleeping Momo off the pillow.

"Okay, Momo," Aang said as he stepped in front of the air vent, "we need you to crawl through this vent and find Appa. Think you can do that?"

Momo chirped under his breath. Aang shoved Momo into the hole. The front half of his body slid inside, leaving his butt dangling out of the wall.

"I don't think that's going to work," I said, sitting on a bed. "I guess the only thing to do is face those challenges the King mentioned... whatever they may be."

"They're probably something crazy... like him," Sokka said, flopping on his bed with a yawn.

"You should get some rest, Aang. You have a busy day tomorrow," Katara said.

I pulled the blanket over my body and looked up at the ceiling. Curtains were draped above us, looking like giant hammocks. I relaxed and closed my eyes.

* * *

A pair of hands grabbed me and threw me over the shoulder connected to them. My eyes shot open.

"Hey! Let me go!" I cried as I was pulled out of the room. I pounded my fists against the person's back.

I waved my hands in the air, collecting water in my fingers. I threw it to the ground. The water froze in front of the person. They slipped on the ice and fell. They released me, and I tumbled to the ground. My eyes adjusted to the darkness, allowing me to see the guard climb to his feet. I waved my hands above my head, gathering water from the air. The water covered my hands and froze into ice. I thrust my hands out to the guard, launching the ice at him. He raised his arms in front of his face, creating a rock wall. The ice shattered upon impact. He punched the rock, breaking off rock pieces and throwing them at me. I brought my arms up to block my face. The first rock wrapped around my hands and wrists. The second grabbed my ankles. I lost my balance and fell to the floor.

Without a word, the guard threw me over his shoulder again and continued down the hall. He opened a hole in the wall and tossed me inside. I grunted as I landed on my side.

"Ursa?" a voice whispered, belonging to Katara. A hand patted against my shoulder a few times to get a feel for my presence before sitting me up. "Are you all right?"

"Physically, sort of. I'm a little tied up," I said. I lifted my legs into the air and slammed them down as hard as I could. The rock broke off from my ankles, and Katara helped me stand. "Is it just you in here?"

"I think so-" The wall opened again, followed by a scream as Sokka was thrown into the room. He crashed into Katara, knocking her to the ground.

"Good. The Water Tribe gang is all here," Sokka mumbled. I searched the walls for some source of light. I found the torch and and crystals inside. I tapped my rock-encased fingers against one of the crystals, causing it to glow from my touch and give us some light. " _What_ is going on? I was in the middle of a great dream!"

"Do you think this has something to do with Aang's challenges?" Katara said.

"Anything is possible with King Fruit Loops ruling this place."

The doors opened a third time. Three guards entered the room.

"Come with us," one of them said.

"Not before you tell us what's going on!" Katara said.

"His Majesty requested that you be relocated in preparation for the Avatar's challenges. Now, you will present yourselves before him."

The guards grabbed us and pulled us down the hallway. We came to a dead end. The guards created a doorway to the throne room, where the King and Aang stood.

"Aang!" we cried.

"Let my friends go!" Aang said to the King.

"Ah, ah, ah!" the King said. "I predicted your refusal, so I had some souvenirs made for your friends."

The guards holding Katara and Sokka placed crystal rings on their index fingers. The crystals tightened around their fingers. They tried to take the rings off, but they wouldn't budge.

"Those lovely crystals are called Jennamite. They're known for growing at incredible fast paces. Unless you cooperate and complete my deadly challenges, your friends will turn into giant crystals." The King clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Well? What do you say?"

"Fine. I'll do your challenges," Aang said. The King smiled.

* * *

Sokka, Katara, and I stood with the King and a few guards on top of a balcony overlooking an underground waterfall. It pours water from the ceiling, and tall stone stalagmites covered the floor.

"I seemed to have misplaced my lunch key, and I'm getting awfully hungry," the King called to Aang, who stood on a ledge near the waterfall opposite of us. He pointed to the waterfall, where a golden key dangled from a rope above a ladder. "Look, there it is! Would you kindly get it for me?"

Aang scowled and leaped across the sides of the stalagmites. He lunged into the waterfall and trudged up the side of the large stalagmite in its center. He grabbed the bottom rung of the ladder, but the powerful water current forced him out. He clung to a stalagmite to avoid getting impaled.

"Way to be original!" the King snorted.

Aang glanced between the stalagmite he hung from and the key. He ripped off the top of the stalagmite and stood on the small stump it left behind. He hefted the stalagmite over his shoulder and launched it forward. The stalagmite cut through the water, the tip grabbing the key, and stabbed through the arch above us. The key dangled in front of the King's face.

"There, you can have your lunch!" Aang called. "Now, give me my friends back!"

"Not quite yet, Avatar. This was only challenge one," the King said. "I need help with another matter, concerning my precious Flopsie."

Aang pouted.

* * *

Aang leaped inside a large pen, where a long-eared bunny was perched on a rock.

"Here's Flopsie. Is that all?" Aang said.

"Not quite. Bring him up to me. Daddy wants a kiss from Flopsie!"

Aang sighed. "Come here, Flopsie." He tiptoed towards the bunny. A large, white, goat gorilla landed behind Aang. The bunny squealed and scurried away. "Wait, Flopsie!"

While Aang chased after the bunny, the goat gorilla chased after Aang. The King cackled from above. The bunny crawled into a hole in the stone. Aang dove after it, but smashed his face into the rock. He rubbed his head.

"Wait a minute..." he mumbled as he glanced back at the goat gorilla that ran at him at full speed. "...Flopsie?"

Flopsie came to an abrupt stop. Wagging his tail, he picked up Aang and licked his face. Aang smiled and petted Flopsie's head. The King whistled. Flopsie dropped Aang and sprinted to the edge of the playpen. He climbed up and rolled onto his stomach.

"Aw, who's a good boy?" the King said, rubbing Flopsie's stomach.

"And I thought being slowly incased in crystal was weird enough," Sokka said, his body covered except for his head and legs. A slab of crystal grew on his right side, ruining the balance. I stepped back to avoid getting crushed as Sokka teetered and fell to the ground.

"I would help you up, but..." I said, holding up my encased hands.

* * *

"Your final test is a duel," the King said as we stood on the balcony of a large arena. "And because you've done so well in your previous challenges, you may pick who you duel with."

Two men stepped to the King's side: a large, muscular man with a cloth over his face and a scrawnier man with his face painted in white makeup. Both wielded large axes.

"Choose wisely," the King said.

Aang examined the men. Taking a deep breath, he lifted his hand and pointed to the King. "I choose you."

The King crackled a smiled. "Wrong choice."

The King's hunch disappeared as his posture suddenly improved. His robes fell wore cuffs on his ankles and bracelets, green shorts, and nothing on his muscular chest. My jaw dropped; am I looking at the same person?

The King pounded his foot against the ground, cracking the stone. The crack traveled to Aang and launched him into the air and onto the field.

"Um... Can I fight the guy with the axe instead?" Aang said, climbing to his feet.

"No take-backies," the King said. "You may, however, need this."

The King snapped his fingers, and one of the guards standing next to us threw Aang's staff to him. He summoned boulders from the ground and chucked them at Aang. Aang dodged the rocks.

"Avoid and evade: that's the airbender's way of fighting," the King said. "You'll have to strike back eventually. Surprise me, Avatar!"

He threw another rock at Aang, this time hitting him in the stomach. His airbender staff flew out of his hand. He tried to grab it, but the King threw up jagged rocks as obstacles. One appeared underneath Aang, knocking him into the air. He summoned an air scooter and rode around the arena. He scooped up his staff, leaped into the air, and summoned a large gust of wind. The wind hit the King, knocking him back into the wall. With a chuckle, the King dug his feet into the earth. As he slowly moved his hands, the balcony rumbled. I gasped as the large balcony next to me was ripped out of the wall and lifted above the King. Aang cried out and ran around in circles, creating a tornado. The King threw the balcony, but it circled back around to him. With a gasp, the King split the balcony in half, the two sides flying in different directions.

Aang lunged and pointed his staff at the King's chin, the King's hands above his head. The King raised an eyebrow and glanced up at the giant boulder handing over the two.

"Well done, Avatar," The King tossed the boulder aside and leaped up to the small balcony the others and I stood on. Aang followed him. "You've passed all my tests. Now, you must answer one question."

"What?! But I finished your tests, and you promised you'd let my friends go!" Aang said.

"But what's the fun without a little mind tease? How am I to be sure you learned something from all this? Answer this one question, and I will release your friends. " the King said. Aang sighed in defeat. "What is my name?"

"...What?"

"You better think of an answer soon. Your friends only have a few minutes left." The King walked off the balcony, leaving the rest of us to brainstorm. Katara and Sokka's bodies were nearly covered in crystal, save their faces.

"You've gotta think, Aang! Maybe the challenges gave away a hint," Katara said.

Aang tapped his finger on his chin. "I got a key from a waterfall, I saved his pet, and I had to duel. But they weren't normal challenges. I had to think around the obvious and find a new way to go about things... I had to think in a different way." Aang's eyes lit up. "I know his name."

* * *

We stood in front of the King in his throne room.

"I solved the question the same way I solve the challenges," Aang said to the King. "As you said a long time ago, I had to open my brain to the possibilities."

The King tossed his head back and cackled, snorting everytime he took a breath. Aang smiled.

"You're a mad genius, Bumi," Aang said. He ran to him and wrapped his arms around him.

"It's good to see you, Aang. You haven't changed a bit... literally," Bumi said.

"Hello?!" Sokka called, his mouth the only visible part of his body. "Aren't you forgetting something?!"

Bumi clenched his fists, and the crystal shells shattered into many pieces. The rock handcuffs crumbled, and I dusted my hands off.

"So... this is your friend from when you were kids?" I said. "Why didn't you just tell Aang who you were?"

"I had my reasons. First off... it's pretty fun messing with people," Bumi said with a snort. He turned to Aang. "But secondly, Aang, I want to tell you that your path is going to be a difficult one. The world has changed a lot during the years you've been gone. As the Avatar, it's your duty to bring peace to the world by defeating Fire Lord Ozai."

The mere mention of his name filled my blood with adrenaline. My thoughts filled with a single agonizing scream.

"Ursa?" Katara whispered. I whipped my head in her direction. She knit her eyebrows, taken aback from the wild look in my eyes. "Is everything okay?"

Taking deep breaths, I reached inside my pant pocket and squeezed the flame headpiece, hoping I could somehow absorb strength from it and stop my body from trembling.

"Yes," I mumbled and looked away.


	7. Imprisoned

I clutched my growling stomach as I sat on top of a tiny stream. I waved my hand and collected some water from the stream. As I pulled the water out, it hardened to ice. I clenched my fist, shattering the ice to pieces, and flicked my hand. The ice shards flew to the nearest tree, some bouncing off the trunk and hitting the ground while others embedded into the wood.

I heard footsteps, and I turned to see Sokka approach our campsite with a small sack.

"What's for dinner? I'm starving!" Aang said, hopping off a fallen tree trunk and sitting on the ground. I stood up and joined them.

"Well, we have a few options..." Sokka said, turning the sack upside-down and shaking the contents out. A handful of nuts landed in the middle of us. "Dig in!"

"Seriously? That's all?" Katara said, picking up and examining a round nut.

Before Sokka could retort, a large, booming sound echoed through the trees. We perked up and looked around.

"What was that?" I said as we climbed to our feet. There was another loud noise, making me jump.

"It sounds like it's coming from over there!" Aang said, pointing in the direction of the noise.

We jogged down the side of the stream and to a small canyon. We hid behind a decaying tree. A young man moved a large boulder back and forth using his earthbending. He wore green and yellow clothing and had long, brown hair.

"Wow, an earthbender," Katara whispered. "We should go introduce ourselves."

"He looks dangerous," Sokka said. "We should be careful-"

Katara was already several feet in front of us. She cupped her hands over her mouth. "Hello, there! My name's Katara!"

The man looked over his shoulder and gasped, dropping the boulder he was earthbending and letting it crash to the ground. He turned on his heel and sprinted down the canyon, creating a rock slide behind him to keep us from pursuing him.

"Nice job," Sokka said.

"All I wanted was to say hi," Katara said, folding her arms.

"You know, he must be running to somewhere. If we follow him, maybe we'll find a village," Aang said.

"A village that has food... which means we won't have to eat nuts for dinner again!"

"Hey, I worked hard for those nuts!" Sokka pouted.

* * *

We followed the canyon to a village. While we walked through the streets, Katara squeezed my arm.

"Look," she said, pointing to the earthbender from before as he entered a shop. She pulled me over to the door, and we entered the shop. Aang, wearing a hat to cover his tattoo, and Sokka followed us. "Hey, you. You're that kid from earlier. Why did you run away?"

"Uh, I'm sorry, but you must be mistaking me for someone else," the boy said.

"No, you're the kid we saw earthbending in the forest," I said.

The elderly woman behind the counter, which I assumed to be the boy's mom, gasped audibly. She rushed to the doors and windows and shut them.

"You did _what_ , Haru?!" the mother said.

"I have no idea what they're talking about, Mom! I mean, look at them!" Haru said, gesturing to our clothes.

"You know how dangerous it is to earthbend. If the Fire Nation caught you earthbending, they'll-!"

A fist pounded against the door. "Open up!"

Sokka crept to the window and peered outside. "Fire Nation!" My heart jumped into my throat. "Everyone, act natural!"

Katara grabbed my shoulders and forced me to turn around and pretend to look at the wares. Haru's mother opened the door, and a Fire Nation soldier stepped inside.

"What do you want? I already paid you this week," she said.

"The taxes just doubled, and you better shell the money over. We wouldn't want an... accident," the soldier said, creating a fireball in his hands. I could feel the heat on the back of my neck, but my face was sweating long before. Katara squeezed my hand.

Haru's mother placed a small chest on the counter, opened it, and placed a few coins in the soldier's hand.

"Keep the copper," he said, tossing the copper pieces onto the floor. He turned and left the shop. I sucked in a deep breath.

"What a jerk," Sokka mumbled.

"How long has the Fire Nation been here?" Aang said.

"Five years. Fire Lord Ozai uses this village to supply coal for Capital City," Haru's mother said, collecting the copper pieces and putting them away.

"They're just a bunch of thugs that bully people around, but no one's done anything to stop them," Haru said, his arms tightly folded.

"Don't talk like that, Haru."

"But Haru's an earthbender. Surely there's something he can do," Katara said.

"Earthbending is forbidden. All it's caused it grief and trouble for this village. It's best if he restrains from using his abilities."

"How could you say that? Haru has a gift! Asking him not to earthbend is like asking me or Ursa not to waterbend! Our bending is a part of who we are."

Haru's mother shook her head. "You don't understand. If the Fire Nation catches Haru earthbending, they will take him away... like they took his father."

* * *

"My mother says you can stay here for the night," Haru said as he escorted us into the barn near his home. "It would be best if you leave in the morning."

"Thanks a lot," Aang said.

"Haru," Katara said, "can I talk to you?"

"Sure," Haru said, and the two left.

"I'm gonna go see if dinner's ready," Sokka said, sneaking out of the barn. All who was left was me, Aang, and our animal companions.

"Hey, Ursa," Aang said, feeding a large hay bale to Appa, "can I ask you something?"

"Sure," I said.

"Why are you so terrified of the Fire Nation?"

I tensed. "I... Isn't everyone afraid of them? After all they've done to the world, it's a mutual emotion."

Aang leaned against his airbender staff. "I think it's different with you. Just the mention of the Fire Nation or anyone in it nearly scares the skin off of you. When Bumi mentioned the Fire Lord, we all thought you would have a panic attack."

I looked away and held my arms. "I have... complications with the Fire Nation. The Royal Family to be specific."

Aang raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I..." A piercing scream filled my thoughts. I dug my fingers into my biceps. "Please, I don't want to talk about it."

Aang's expression softened. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

I shook my head and forced a smile. "It's okay."

* * *

The next morning, as we were packing up our things, Katara went to go refill out water jug. She came back a few seconds later, bursting through the doors.

"They took him! The Fire Nation took Haru!" Katara cried.

"What? What happened?" Aang said.

"While Haru and I were talking, we ran into an old man caught in a rock slide. Haru used earthbending to push the rocks back, and we helped him out. He turned Haru into the Fire Nation, and they took him!"

Aang side-glanced at me, probably wanting a reaction to Katara mentioning the Fire Nation. I kept a stoic expression.

"It's all my fault. I was the one who forced Haru to earthbend," Katara said, holding her arms.

"When did they take Haru?" Sokka said.

"His mother said it was around midnight."

Sokka's face fell. "Then it's too late to track them."

"We won't need to track them." Katara clenched her fists and looked up at us. "I'll get the Fire Nation to arrest me for earthbending."

"What? In case you haven't noticed, Katara, you bend _water_ , not earth," Aang said.

"I have a plan, and I want you all to help me."

We all glanced at each other.

"You _will_ help me, right?" Katara said.

"Of course. Whatever you say," I said.

* * *

"Now would be a good time to explain the plan," Sokka grunted as we pushed a large boulder over an air vent.

"There's an air vent right around the corner behind that rock," Katara said. "You and I will get into a fight, and I'll try to intimidate you with fake earthbending. When I say the phrase, 'earthbending style', Aang will send a wind current through the air vents to make the boulder float. The Fire Nation will believe I earthbended and will arrest me."

"And once you're inside, you'll find Haru and get him out of there," I said. Katara nodded. "Did you get all of that, Aang?"

"Huh?" Aang said as he played with a butterfly. He flicked his hand, creating tiny wind currents that made the butterfly bounce in the air. "Oh, yeah, yeah. Earthbending style. I got it."

"Here they come!" Sokka said. I leaped behind the rock with Aang and peeked down the path at three Fire Nation soldiers approaching.

Katara and Sokka pretended to bump into each other.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" Katara said.

" _You_ watch where _you're_ going, pipsqueak!" Sokka said.

"How dare you call me pipsqueak, you giant earred cretin!"

"Oh, yeah?! You're going down!"

"I'll show you who's going down! Earthbending style!"

"That's the signal," I whispered. When nothing happened, I glanced down at Aang, who balanced the butterfly on his head. I kicked him in the back. "Aang!"

Aang jumped to his feet and thrust a large wind current into the air vent. The boulder on the other side floated into the air. The Fire Nation soldiers gripped their spears and pointed them at Katara.

"Earthbending is forbidden. You're coming with us!" one of the guards said, grabbing Katara's arm.

I approached Sokka. "She should have known better!" I cried, pretending to weep in my hands.

"There, there," Sokka said, stiffly patting my shoulder. "She won't cause us anymore trouble."

The guards glanced at us as they walked past. The one holding Katara stopped.

"Hey!" he said. He turned around and looked directly at me. My eyes widened. "You're that girl who's wanted by the Fire Lord!"

My blood ran cold. Katara, Sokka, and Aang stared at me, their mouths hanging and their eyes wide.

"Get her!" Too frozen to run, the other two guards rushed towards me and grabbed my arms. I thrashed wildly to try and break free from their iron grips. I frantically waved my hands to try and gather water from the air. The third guard released Katara and ran to me. He grabbed my wrists and secured them together with metal handcuffs. "Leave the earthbender. This girl is much more valuable."

One of the guards threw me over his shoulder. I beat my cuffed fists against his armor. I looked up at my friends, who stared in bewilderment as the soldiers carried me further and further away.

* * *

Two guards sat across from me in the tiny wooden cart that carried us to a sailboat. I rested my hands in my lap, the scratchy fabric of the long, brown tunic I wore over my clothes irritating my skin. My heart throbbed- a terrible, full-body sort of beat that made my entire body shake. My palms and face sweated profusely, and my vision grew dizzy.

 _Please. Please don't take me._

I looked up and into the crowd of people, all of their sympathetic eyes on me. My friends were not within the crowd. Tears pricked my eyes, and I squeezed them shut to try and keep them at bay. A tear, however, escaped down my cheek.

 _Save me... Zuko._

* * *

 _Sitting underneath the gazebo, I sat on the white bench inside, my legs pulled to my chest, my back pressed against the wall, and my face buried in my knees._

 _"Ashe!" I tensed at the call of my name. "Where are you?"_

 _I heard footsteps running through the gardens. Over grass and cobblestone, they traveled around. After a minute or so, the gazebo's stairs squeaked._

 _"Ashe?" I heard Zuko say as he stepped into the gazebo. I turned my head towards the wall. The eleven-year-old walked over and sat next to me. "What's wrong?"_

 _Seeing how he wouldn't budge until I told him, I slowly lifted my head. The air hit my tear-stained cheeks, the water from my eyes washing away the makeup. It also stung my left cheek, which was slightly swollen and red._

 _Zuko's eyes widened. "What happened?"_

 _I sniffled. "I... fell."_

 _Zuko stared at my cheek. I covered it with my hand, cringing from accidentally touching it._

 _"Who did this to you?"_

 _Squeezing my eyes shut, I took a deep breath and uttered their name. Zuko jumped to his feet._

 _"I'll be right back," he said, and he ran out._

 _"Wait!" I cried, but Zuko was already gone. I gulped._ Is he going to go pick a fight?

 _Several minutes passed, each one feeding the worry welling up in my chest. Footsteps returned, and I perked up. Zuko entered again, panting quietly, and sat down._

 _"Hold still."_

 _Zuko pressed an ice pack to my cheek. I jerked back from the sudden cold at first, then relaxed and let the ice heal my wound. I wiped my other, uninjured cheek as fresh tears fell down. My makeup smeared on my sleeve._

 _Zuko smiled. "Don't worry, Ashe. I won't let this happen again."_

 _I opened my eyes. Zuko lifted his free hand and extended his pinkie out._

 _"From here on out, I, Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation, promise to forever and always protect my friend, Ashe," he said. "Anything that tries to hurt her will have to go through me first."_

 _I giggled and raised my hand, wrapping my pinkie around his._

 _"From here on out, I, Ashe, promise to forever and always protect my friend, Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation," I said. "Anything that tries to hurt him will have to go through me first."_

 _Zuko grinned and shook our intertwined pinkies up and down. "I also promise to make sure my friend, Ashe, never cries again. And if I'm ever the reason, I give her full permission to smack me as hard as she wants."_

 _I smiled and wiped my eyes._

* * *

As the Fire Nation soldiers pulled me onto the sailboat, my body quaked from my violent sobs. The boat cruised away from the town and deep into the ocean. My chest rose and fell sporadically from my post-cry heaves. I sat with my head bowed, the bits of hair around my face slightly shielding my blotchy skin.

The boat came to a stop. A pair of hands grabbed my arms and stood me up; I numbly complied. They led me down the ramp of the boat.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" a voice said. A guard gripped my top-knot and pulled it back, forcing me to look up and at the old, graying prison warden before me. "You, girl, are far away from home. Don't worry, we'll have you shipped back and reunited with the Fire Lord." He turned to the guards. "Take her away."

The guards led me through the metal doorway and into the prison. They released me and exited, the doors closing behind them. I stared down at my hands, still cuffed.

"Ursa?" I looked up as Haru stood up and approached me. "What are you doing here?"

"My friends and I are going to break you out of here," I said.

"So, you got yourself arrested?"

"Well... Katara came up with a plan that was supposed to result in _her_ getting arrested, but the soldiers took me instead. Don't ask."

"I wasn't going to. Are you hungry? Let's get you something to eat."

My stomach growled after he finished his sentence. He led me to a small group of people sitting in a circle. One man, with long, white hair and green eyes, looked up at us.

"Who's this, Haru?" he said.

"This is Ursa. She's traveling with the Avatar," Haru said. "Ursa, this is my father, Tyro."

"Nice to meet you," I said with a bow.

"Here." Tyro offered me a wooden bowl filled with broth and bits of meat. I awkwardly accepted it and sat down, carefully balancing the bowl in my lap and slurping a spoonful into my mouth.

I cringed. "Delicious."

"I know it's not very good, but it's what we get." Tyro smiled weakly. "So, you know the Avatar?"

"Yes. My two friends, Sokka and Katara, and I met Aang not too long ago. Now we're traveling with him."

"I see. So, what's your reasoning for getting arrested? You don't look like an earthbender to me."

I lowered my spoon. "I'd rather not talk about it."

"Of course. I apologize."

I nodded. "So, what's next? Wait to be rescued?"

"More like try to survive. The warden who runs this place is a ruthless man. He won't stand for any sort of rebellion, let alone a jailbreak. Perhaps one day soon the war will end, or some of us will be lucky enough to return home to our families. Until that day comes... we're here."

"So, you're going to do nothing."

Tyro looked away. I bowed my head.

* * *

The next morning, I groaned and rolled my shoulder, sore and aching from sleeping on the hard ground, a thin blanket the only thing separating me and the metal floor. I walked out to the prison yard. There were several more guards perched high above, watching us even more intently. I found Haru and Tyro.

"Why are there more guards around?" I said.

"There's a rumor going around of a large, flying creature with an empty saddle that was spotted by a few of the guards," Haru said. "They're conducting a search. They think someone snuck into the prison."

I perked up. _Flying creature? Empty saddle? Was it my friends?_

"I don't know who in their right mind would ever sneak into this place. If they're looking for something, I doubt they'll find it." Tyro said.

My heart fluttered with delight. _Right mind? Of course it was them!_

The ground rumbled. We climbed to our feet and looked around in confusion. An air vent near the center of the prison yard burst open. A mountain of coal spewed out from the vent like a volcano, followed by a soot-covered figure and his winged lemur.

"Aang!" I cried. Aang coughed to clear soot from his throat and waved with a black-toothed grin. I turned to Haru and Tyro. "This is your chance. You can fight back now! You can finally escape!"

Tyro remained silent. I knit my eyebrows.

"Think about your family. Don't let the Fire Nation tear them apart."

A hand snagged my arm and yanked me back.

"Nice try, girl," the warden hissed in my ear. "Take a good, long look at these people. I dashed their dreams and crushed their spirits a long time ago. Soon, you'll be just like them."

There was a glint in the sky. I gasped and ducked as Sokka's boomerang flew over me and hit the warden in the head. He grunted painfully and released me, stumbling back and holding his forehead, which began to bleed. He reeled back his free fist and shot a fireball at me.

A wall of coal formed in front of me and absorbed the fire. I looked behind me and saw Tyro in a forward lunge, his arms raised.

"Earthbenders! Attack!" Tyro cried, pounding his hands against the ground. The hot coals flew at the warden and the guards. They circled their arms, creating a fire-like shield to direct the coals away.

I ran out of the way as coal and fire began to fly.

"Ursa!" I frantically searched the crowds and found Katara waving her arms at me. I breathed a sigh of relief and hurried to greet her. She hugged me tightly. "Thank goodness you're okay! We tracked the cargo boat to the prison and devised this plan to help you and the earthbenders escape."

I smiled. "Thank you," I said. I looked back at the fight. The earthbenders pelted the guards with coals. I noticed a spilled bowl of broth nearby. "Can you waterbend that over to me?"

Katara nodded. She raised her hands, lifting the broth into the air, and gently swung her arm, carrying the liquid over to us. I took control of the broth and, flexing my fingers, quickly directed the broth into the keyhole of the handcuffs as it froze. The broth hardened, causing the metal to crack. I walked over to the supporting pole of a watch tower. Reeling my arms back, I swung the handcuffs into the pole. I heard more cracking. I did it twice, then three times. On the fourth time, the metal broke in half. I rubbed my wrists to bring circulation back to them.

Back on the battlefield, Haru and Tyro earthbended a large pile of coal into the air. They tightly compacted the coal into one, solid ball, and launched it at the gates, smashing a large hole into it.

"Get to the ships! We'll hold them off!" Tyro called to the other prisoners. They sprinted to the exit.

"Don't let them escape!" the warden cried, blasting fireballs at them.

"Go, Katara," I said. "I'll help them out."

Katara nodded and hurried for the exit. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and slowly raised my arms up to my sides. I could hear the crashing of the waves below. With each inhale and exhale, my hands gently and slightly rose and fell, rising higher each time. The waves grew louder.

Planting my right foot forward, I thrust my arms up to the sky. Two tall, large waves of water rose to the sky. The deafening crack of them hardening to ice drowned out the commotion. Opening my eyes, I grunted and thrust my arms down and at inner diagonals. The ice shattered into hundreds of ice spikes. They crashed down and impaled the metal floors. The spikes surrounded the warden and the guards, encasing them in individual ice prison cells. The earthbenders gathered every piece of coal, sucking the guards and their cages into the pile. We carried the pile over to the side of the prison and released them into the ocean below.

I lowered my arms and panted quietly. Tyro, Haru, and I exited through the gaping hole in the wall and to the docks.

"Thank you, Ursa," Tyro said.

I gave him a small smile. "I didn't do anything, really. It was you who gathered the courage to act."

"But so did you."

I paused as I imagined the ice cages. _I did, didn't I?_ A familiar roar filled the air, and I turned and saw Appa swim over to the docks, my friends sitting on his back.

"I've got to get going," I said.

"Let's meet again in the future," Haru said. I nodded. I waved to them and ran to the edge of the docks. Aang reached a hand out, and I took it and climbed up Appa's head and into his saddle. I tore the prisoner tunic off and tossed it into the water.

"So, how does it feel to not be in jail anymore?" Sokka said.

Katara hit Sokka's shoulder. "We're glad to have you back, Ursa."

"It's good to be back," I said.

Aang glanced over his shoulder. "Listen, about what happened..."

I gulped and braced for the interrogation.

"Whenever you feel ready to talk about things, we'll be here to listen."

I relaxed and looked at the faces of my friends. I smiled.

"Thank you." I stuffed my hands inside my pockets.

All the blood rushed from my face, leaving it as pale as a ghost's. My eyes widened. My heart felt like it stopped beating. A wave of panic rose in my chest, and I felt like I couldn't breathe. I collapsed onto my knees.

"Ursa? What's wrong?" Katara said, holding my shoulders.

Tears filled my eyes and splattered against the leather saddle. I took deep, yet shallow breaths to try and calm my aching heart. I pulled my hands out of my pockets and looked at my empty hands.

My golden headpiece was gone.


	8. Winter Solstice, Part 1

We traveled in silence. I knew my friends communicated silently through facial expressions while I sat on the opposite side of the saddle, my legs held against my chest as I gazed down at the green hills below.

I could hardly feel my faint, mourning heartbeat. The familiar weight of my golden headpiece laying in my pocket was gone. I even missed how it would dig into my skin if I sat wrong. I laid my chin on my knees.

"Hey," Katara finally said, "what's that?"

I lifted my head and looked forward, the right side of my neck sore from being stuck in one position for a long period of time. Below, midst the greenery, was a long, jagged scar of black in the center of the valley. Aang landed Appa in the middle of the charred forest. Shriveled tree trunks leaned crookedly. I kicked the ground, disrupting the layer of ash below my feet.

"Fire Nation!" Sokka hissed as he crouched over tracks from people and komodo rhinos. "Those monsters make me sick!"

I felt so emotionally detached; hearing someone mention the Fire Nation only made me sadder.

Aang fell to his knees, gathered a handful of ash, and let it fall through his fingers. "Why would someone do something like this?" he whispered. "How could I let this happen?"

"This has nothing to do with you, Aang," Katara said.

"Yes, it does. I'm the Avatar, and I'm supposed to protect nature and keep things like this from happening. But I don't even know _how_ to be the Avatar. Roku is supposed to help me, but I have no idea what that means or how that's going to happen."

I sighed and kicked the ground again. I perked up when my foot hit something buried underneath the surface. I crouched down and ran my fingers along the ash, feeling for the object. I scooped up ash in both my hands and let the gritty, yet smooth substance fall through my fingers. When the ash was gone, a small acorn sat in my palms.

"Hey, guys," I turned and held out the acorn, "look what I found."

"An acorn?" Katara said. She crouched down and dug a small hole in the ash, finding one for her own. "Do you know what this means?"

"We're having nuts for dinner again?" Sokka said.

"No. It means the forest will grow back. Someday, every one of these acorns will become a tall, strong tree, the birds and animals that once lived here will come back, and this place will be alive again."

Katara placed the acorn in Aang's hand and closed his fingers around it. Aang smiled.

Footsteps approached us. We jumped to our feet and saw an old man hobble over to us, dressed in old, brown robes and using a cane to help him walk.

"I saw the flying bison. I thought I was imagining it... Thank goodness I was wrong," the old man said, stopping in front of Aang. "Are you the Avatar?"

"Yes, I am," Aang said.

Light erupted in the man's eyes. "Thank the stars you are here. My village desperately needs your help."

* * *

The old man led us to his village, which was hidden in the middle of the forest. We walked through the gates and down the main street. A house to my left was decimated, with its neighbor badly damaged. We entered the large building at the end of the village, where many people resided.

"Friends! Gather your eyes this way," the old man said. "The Avatar has come to help us."

"So, the rumors are true." A middle-aged man approached us. He smiled and bowed. Aang returned the bow.

"I was told I could help you. What's the problem?" Aang said.

"It started happening a few days ago. When the sun sets, a spirit monster comes and attacks our village. His name is Hei Bai, the Black and White Spirit," the old man said.

"Why is he attacking your village?" Sokka said.

"We don't know, but each night he comes, he leaves with one of our own," the middle-aged man said. "We are especially fearful because the Winter Solstice draws near. The line between the Spirit World and our world will be blurred, and who knows what havoc Hei Bai will wreak when that happens."

"So... what do you want me to do?" Aang said.

"You are the Avatar! You are the great bridge between man and spirit. Only you can resolve this crisis," the old man said.

"Uh... right." Aang grabbed us. "Can I talk to you guys for a second?"

"Is everything all right, Aang? You seem uncertain," Katara said as we stepped away from the people.

"Of course I'm uncertain. I don't know _anything_ about the Spirit World, and there's no one out there who can teach me about it!"

"How are you going to help these people, then?" I said.

"I don't know... but I still have to try and do something. And who knows? Maybe whatever I need to do will just come to me."

"Yeah..." Sokka said, then brought his voice to a whisper. "We are so dead."

I elbowed his arm.

* * *

As the sun started to set, Aang stepped outside of the main hall with his airbender staff. We closed the doors behind him and peered out the windows.

"Hellooo? Spirit? This is the Avatar speaking!" Aang called as he headed to the gates of the village.

"This isn't right. We shouldn't just wait around for Aang to get attacked by a monster," Sokka said.

"If anyone is capable of this task, it's the Avatar," the old man said.

"He still shouldn't have to face this alone."

The sun disappeared behind the valley and trees. Aang turned around and headed back to the main hall. Whispers rustled through the forest. A large, six-legged, black and white monster stepped through the village gates. I gasped. Aang stopped and turned to face the monster.

"You must be Hei Bai," Aang said. "My name is-"

Hei Bai opened his mouth, emitting a sonic scream. He stood up on his hind legs and screamed again. His screams released streams of blue light from his mouth. Hei Bai stepped over Aang and approached a building. He swung his fist, obliterating the building with a single strike.

"Hey, wait!" Aang said. "I want to help you!"

Hei Bai moved at incredible speeds, practically teleporting between buildings and mills and destroying them with his fists and screams.

"The Avatar's methods are... interesting," the middle-aged man said. We ducked as pieces of wood flew through the window and behind us.

"Please, stop destroying things and listen to me!" Aang cried as he chased Hei Bai around the village. He jumped onto the roof of a building. "Hei Bai, I command you to turn around and face me!"

Hei Bai glanced over his shoulder. He turned, swung his arm, and knocked Aang into another roof.

Sokka pounded his fists against the window sill. "That's it! I won't sit here and do nothing! Aang needs help!"

"Wait, Sokka!" I cried, but he burst through the doors and ran down the stairs towards Hei Bai. He pulled out his boomerang and threw it at the Spirit. It bounced off Hei Bai's butt and fell to the ground.

"Sokka, go back inside! It's not safe for you!" Aang said.

Hei Bai sprinted towards Sokka and snatched him up. He ran out of the village. Aang leaped into the air and chased after him on his glider.

"Sokka!" Katara cried. We ran out of the building and to the edge of the village. Katara picked up Sokka's boomerang and sat down at the gates.

"They'll be back," I said, sitting down next to her.

"I know..."

I crossed my legs and held my hands in my lap.

"I lost something back at the earthbender prison," I said.

Katara perked up. "What did you lose?"

"Something from when I was younger. It's the last thing I have from my youth. It holds all my memories of..." I tightened my intertwined fingers.

Katara placed a hand on the ground and leaned towards me. "Memories of what?"

"My old friend. I met him and his family when I was young, and they took me in..." I gulped to try and moisturize my dry throat. "But he's dead. He was killed by... the Fire Nation. And I couldn't do anything to stop it."

"Ursa..." Katara rested a hand on my shoulder. "I'm so sorry."

Light peered behind me. We turned around to look at the rising sun.

"We've been up all night. We should get some rest." I stood up. I offered my hand to Katara and helped her stand. We headed back to the main hall, hand-in-hand.

* * *

The setting sun returned that evening, as well as the uneasiness among the villagers. Hei Bai would be back any minute now, but Aang still hadn't returned.

"Is that... Aang?" Katara gasped. I looked up at the sky and saw him riding on his glider. He landed in front of the main hall. Katara rushed out of the building and wrapped her arms around Aang. "You're back!"

"Yeah..." Aang said.

Katara pulled away. "Where's Sokka?"

Aang bowed his head. "I'm not sure."

The sun disappeared.

"Get inside. I don't want Hei Bai taking you, too."

"What are you going to do?" I said.

Aang smiled. "I have an idea."

Katara and I headed back inside and closed the doors. Aang headed to the village gates. For several minutes, there was silence. With drooped shoulders, Aang slowly walked back to the main hall.

One of the buildings exploded. Hei Bai emerged from it, threw back his head, and roared.

"Run, Aang!" Katara cried.

Hei Bai turned to the main hall. He sprinted over to it. We gasped.

"Stop!" Aang cried. He leaped over Hei Bai and pressed his hands against his forehead. He landed on the porch of the main hall. "You're the spirit of the forest. Now I know why you're mad- because your home burned down. I was upset, too, when I saw the forest had been destroyed. But look..." Aang held up an acorn. "There are hundreds of these buried in the ground. One day, the forest will grow back, and your home will be anew."

Aang set the acorn on the ground. Hei Bai picked it up and stared at it. As he turned around, Hei Bai transformed into his docile, panda form. He passed through the gates, leaving behind a cluster of bamboo trees. The trees rustled, and the stolen villagers emerged.

"Sokka!" Katara cried, rushing to hug him.

"What, uh... happened?" Sokka said.

"You were trapped in the Spirit World," I said. "Are you all right? How do you feel?"

Sokka opened his mouth, then sprinted to the nearest building.

"I gotta use the bathroom!" he cried.

* * *

"Thank you, Avatar, for bringing peace back to our village and the forest," the middle-aged man said. "Is there any way we can repay you?"

"Well, we _are_ running low on food, supplies, and money..." Sokka said. Katara elbowed his side.

"It would be an honor to help you with your journey." The man left to gather supplies for us.

"Guys," Aang said, "I know how I can talk to Roku."

"You do? How?" Katara said.

"There's a temple on a crescent-shaped island. If I go there on the solstice, I'll be able to speak to Roku."

"But the solstice is tomorrow."

"Crescent-shaped island?" I said. A cold chill crawled down my spine. "There's only one place like that... and that's in the Fire Nation."

"That'll be a piece of cake!" Sokka said. "...Right?"

I started to reach my hand into my pocket, but I stopped halfway.

"It's a long journey to Crescent Island." The middle-aged man returned and handed Aang a bundle of food. "You'll have to fly fast to get there in time for the solstice."

"Thank you for-" Aang said.

" _Go_! There's no time to waste!"

We nodded and ran out of the village to go get Appa.


	9. Winter Solstice, Part 2

The sun was behind us, freshly risen. Aang coaxed Appa to fly faster. I held my hand against the side of my head to keep my hair as tamed as possible in the midst of these crazy wind currents.

My heart rate increased. _If the Fire Nation catches me..._ I clenched my fist. A cloud rained ice drops. I had to focus; this is about Aang, not me.

I brought my eyes to the ocean, and my breath caught in my throat. A Fire Navy ship cruised beneath us, effortlessly matching our pace.

"We have trouble!" I cried. Sokka and Katara looked down and gasped.

"Can't this thing fly any faster?!" Sokka said.

"This 'thing' has a gender and a name, thank you very much!" Aang said.

A hatch on the ship's bow opened, and a catapult emerged, a large, round clump resting on it. The scarred boy lit the clump on fire. The fireball flew towards us.

"Aang!" I cried. Aang yanked Appa's reins, swerving us away from the fireball. It soared past us, leaving behind a repugnant odor. I wrinkled my nose and plugged it with a gag.

"We've got to get out of their range before they shoot another fireball!" Katara said.

"Uh..." Aang said. "I think that's the least of our problems."

We looked ahead and saw a blockade of Fire Navy ships. I gasped.

"If we fly up north, we'll be able to go around the ships and avoid the blockade," Aang said. He glanced back at us. "It's the only way."

"Let's run this blockade!" Sokka said.

"Appa, yip yip!"

Appa growled and flew even faster. There were at least three or four catapults on each ship, and the soldiers maintaining them ignited the balls perched on them.

"Get ready!"

The catapults fired, raining stinky fireballs. Appa swerved through the shower, successfully avoiding the fireballs. They flew past us... and towards the Fire Navy ship behind us.

I gasped and jumped to my feet. _Iroh!_

The fireballs rained down around the ship, causing large waves that splashed water onto the ship. One was on a collision course. I waved my arms above my head and thrust my right arm down and diagonally. A cloud next to me solidified into an ice spike and dive-bombed. It impaled the fireball, guiding it into the water next to the ship.

"Incoming!" Aang cried. I turned and gasped as we flew straight towards the blockade.

"Fire!" I heard a voice shout. A blazing fireball flew straight towards us. We screamed.

Aang leaped off Appa and thrust his foot out, sending a wind current into the fireball. The fireball exploded, and we passed by unscathed. Aang fell back onto Appa's head, and we flew over the blockade.

I looked back at the Fire Navy ship Iroh was on. The blockade had halted their engines, allowing the ship to sail past.

"We did it," Sokka whimpered. "We're in the Fire Nation."

"Hooray..." I said.

* * *

"There it is!" Aang cried. The sun was on the other side of the sky, getting ready to begin setting. Appa descended to Crescent Island, true to its name. I could see streams of lava, starting from the top of the volcano and swimming down to the water. We landed behind some tall rocks. Aang hopped off and patted Appa's head. "Good job, buddy."

Appa groaned and rolled onto his back. I rubbed his stomach.

"The temple's up there." Aang pointed to a brown, gold, and red building perched on top of a hill. A long, stone bridge led up to it. "Let's get going!"

After crossing the bridge, we hid behind a rock to scope the area.

"There's no guards," Sokka said.

"Maybe this place was abandoned after Roku died," Katara said.

"That would make things a lot easier for us," I said.

"It's almost sundown. We'd better hurry!"

We ran up the stairs and into the temple. Multiple doorways led in several directions.

"Which way do we go?" Katara said.

"Wait a minute," Sokka said, and we stopped. "I think I heard something."

We turned around. The entrance door was blocked by five, elderly men dressed in red robes and tall headpieces.

"We are the Fire Sages, guardians of the temple of the Avatar," the man in front said.

"Really? That's great! _I'm_ the Avatar!" Aang said.

"We know."

Taking a deep breath, the sages thrust their fists at us, launching fireballs at us. Aang stepped forward and sizzled the fires out with a gust of air.

"Run! I'll hold them off!" Aang said. We turned and sprinted down the northern-most hallway. I heard painful grunts from the Fire Sages as they were knocked down.

As we ran, we passed by an intersecting hallway. Aang skidded out.

"This way!" Aang called, leading us forward.

"Do you know where you're going?!" Sokka said.

"Of course I do!" Aang said, turning the corner. A second later, he came running back. "Not this way!"

A Fire Sage jogged around the corner. "Wait!" he cried.

We turned the corner, but it led to a dead end. We turned to face the lone Fire Sage.

"Please, stop. I don't want to fight you," the Fire Sage said. He took a step forward and bowed before Aang. "My name is Shyu. I know why you're here, Avatar. You wish to speak to Avatar Roku, correct?"

Aang relaxed. "Yes."

"I can take you to him." Shyu grabbed the lantern hanging on the wall next to him and lifted it up, revealing a hole in the wall. He pressed his palm against the hole and pumped fire into it. The metal creaked as a doorway open. "This way, please."

We glanced at each other and entered the doorway. We followed Shyu down a long staircase.

"Avatar Roku once called this place his home. He manipulated the magma of the volcano to form these secret passages," he said.

"Did you know Avatar Roku?" Aang said.

"No, but my grandfather did. Fire Sages have guarded this place for centuries. Each of us who have come before have a spiritual connection to this place. A few weeks ago, we witnessed something amazing: the eyes of Avatar Roku's statue began to glow."

"That was when we were at the Southern Air Temple," Katara chimed. "When Aang entered the Avatar State, all the eyes of the Avatar statues in the sanctuary started glowing, too."

"In that moment, we knew that you had returned to the world."

"If this is supposed to be the Avatar's temple, then why did the Sages attack us?" Aang said.

"The world has changed since you disappeared, and the Fire Sages were not immune. In the past, they were loyal only to the Avatar. When Roku died, the Sages eagerly waited for the next Avatar to be born and return... but he never came. With the disappearance of the Avatar, their hope diminished. When Fire Lord Sozin began the world, the Fire Sages were forced to follow him. I didn't want to be subject to that, so when I knew you were coming, I knew it meant I would have to betray the other Sages."

"Thank you for helping us," Aang said.

Shyu smiled and pointed to the ascending staircase up ahead. "We'll follow these stairs to the sanctuary. You must wait for the light to hit Avatar Roku's statue before you'll be able to speak with him."

We climbed the stairs. At the top, Shyu pushed a stone tile out of the ceiling, opening a hole for us. We climbed out and approached the sanctuary doors. Shyu gasped.

"The doors are closed!" he said.

"Can't you open these doors like you did with the secret one before?" Katara said.

"No. To open this door, it requires either a fully-realized Avatar or the cooperation of all the Fire Sages."

Sokka tapped a finger on his chin. His eyes light up. "I have an idea!" He removed a lantern hanging above him and pulled out five small bags made of animal skins. He opened the lantern and poured the oil into each of the sacks. "If we place these in the holes and get Shyu to ignite them, we'll be able to make ourselves some fake firebending!"

"This... might actually work," Shyu said. Sokka grinned and stuffed the sacks inside the door's holes. "The other Fire Sages will hear the explosion, so once the doors open, you must rush inside."

Aang nodded. We stepped behind the pillars. Shyu stretched two fingers out, creating a small trickle of fire and hit the rope fuses hanging from the sacks. The fire traveled to the sacks, and they exploded, creating a thick layer of smoke. Aang ran to the doors and tugged on the handles, but they still didn't open.

"They're still locked!" Aang said. He growled and attacked the doors with his own wind currents. "Come. On. And. Open!"

"Aang, stop!" Katara said, grabbing his arm.

Aang sighed. "I'm sorry that I got you all caught up in this."

Sokka walked over to the doors and ran a finger over the soot left behind from the explosion. "I don't get it. The explosion looked as strong as a blast from a firebender."

I examined the sooty door. My eyes lit up. "Wait a minute! That's it!" I turned to the others. "Sokka's plan may not have worked, but it _looked_ like it did. This will fool the Fire Sages into thinking Aang got inside."

"Uh... Yeah! Just like I planned!" Sokka said, placing his hands on his hips triumphantly.

"I'll go and gather the Fire Sages, and, believing you're inside, we'll open the doors for you," Shyu said.

"We can have Momo crawl through the pipes and make them think it's Aang," Katara said. "Let's hide."

We ran behind our own pillar while Shyu ran around the corner. After a few moments of silence, a herd of footsteps came our way.

"I saw the Avatar go in there!" Shyu said.

"What?! How did he get inside?!" the head Fire Sage growled.

"I don't know, but look at these scorch marks!"

"We can't let him contact Avatar Roku."

My face heated up from the Fire Sages' fire blasts. The doors opened.

"What is that?!" a Fire Sage said.

"It's the Avatar's lemur," the head Fire Sage said. Momo sneezed. "Where is he?!"

Momo lunged and attacked the head Fire Sage. Sokka and Katara grabbed two of the Fire Sages and threw their robes over their heads. Shyu grabbed the Sage next to him and twisted his arm.

"It worked!" I said. "Aang, now's your-!"

The scarred boy stood behind Aang, holding his hands behind his back. He led him towards the stairs. I gasped and scowled. I sprinted towards the two, waving my hands in front of me and gathering water from the air. The water transformed into a slab of ice. I threw the slab at the ground. It slid over to the scarred boy's feet. He stepped on it and slipped, releasing Aang and falling to the ground.

"Run, Aang!" I cried as I continued to run. Aang nodded and sprinted past me. As the scarred boy stood up, I shoved him hard in the chest. He tumbled down the stairs. I turned back around and watched the Fire Sages chain Katara and Sokka to a pillar. They bound Shyu's hands behind his back and forced him on his knees. I hid behind the nearest pillar.

"Why, Shyu? Why would you betray your Sage brethren? We serve the Fire Lord, and he wants the Avatar," the head Fire Sage said.

"Protecting the Avatar used to be the duty of the Sages. It is _still_ our duty," Shyu said.

A single, slow clap rang throughout the room. "What a heartwarming performance. I'm almost moved to tears," a voice said.

My eyes widened, and I turned to the source of the voice. A man with several Fire Nation soldiers behind him entered the room. He had long sideburns, a top-knot, and a smirk on his face.

 _Zhao._

A hand grabbed my arm, twisted it behind my back, and pulled me behind the staircase.

"Make any noise and I'll burn you to a crisp," the scarred boy hissed. Something sharp pressed against my back. I swallowed my cry. He peered over the staircase and at Zhao.

"I'm sure the Fire Lord will be most pleased when I turn you over to him," Zhao said to Shyu.

"You're too late," Shyu said. "The Avatar is already inside those doors, and it is sealed shut."

"No matter. He will have to come out eventually. And I'll be waiting for him. Men."

Zhao and the Fire Nation soldiers lined up in front of the door, poised to attack.

"When those doors open, unleash all your fire power!" Zhao said.

When he finished his sentence, the doors began to glow brightly. I squeezed my eyes shut from the harsh light. The doors groaned, hissed, and opened. A pair of white, glowing eyes pierced through the darkness.

"Fire!" Zhao barked. He and the soldiers thrust their fists forward, unleashing powerful fire blasts.

"No!" I cried. I winced as the sharp object the boy held dug into my skin.

The fire spun around in a ball, as if being guided by someone. When the fire lifted, Avatar Roku stood before us, his eyes glowing white. Zhao's face twisted into horror. Roku gathered the fire and shot it at the soldiers, knocking them back and melting the chains holding my friends. The scarred boy shoved me forward and directed me towards the stairs, using me as a shield to protect him from Roku's wrath.

I twisted my body, freeing my arm from its uncomfortable position. I yanked away from the boy's grip. Once again, I pushed him down the stairs. I turned on my heel and sprinted to Sokka and Katara.

"Avatar Roku is going to destroy the temple! We've got to get out of here!" Shyu said.

"What about Aang?" Katara cried.

Roku pounded his hand against the ground, melting through the metal and opening a crevasse. He lifted his hand, and a large column of magma burst through the floor and out ceiling. The Fire Nation soldiers and Fire Sages ran away.

The magma fell back down below. The smoke clogging the room was sucked back like a vacuum, surrounding Roku. When the smoke subsided, Aang stood. He groaned and fell to his knee. We rushed over and helped him stand.

"Let's get out of here," Sokka said. We went over to the staircase, but it was flooded with lava. The temple lurched and began to fall. We looked at each other with wide eyes.

A loud, familiar roar echoed from outside. We ran to the giant, gaping hole in the wall and saw Appa and Momo racing to meet us. We jumped onto Appa's back and flew away from Crescent Island. I glanced back at the thick clouds of smoke that covered the island and pumped out from the Fire Navy ships.

"So, what did Avatar Roku talk to you about?" Sokka said.

Aang bowed his head. "There's a comet coming at the end of summer. Fire Lord Ozai's going to harness the power from the comet to make his firebending unbelievably strong and bring an end to the war. Roku said I have to master all four elements before the end of summer and stop Ozai."

"Oh. Oh, boy."

"Yeah..." Aang snapped Appa's reins, urging him to go faster. "So... the Northern Pole, here we come."

* * *

~TPPOV~

"So, Zhao managed to see past your plan and followed you to the temple," Iroh said.

Zuko stood silently, his arms folded tightly over his chest, and looked out into the ocean. He looked up at the sky and watched Appa fly away.

"Follow that bison!" Zuko barked. The small Fire Navy boat picked up speed.

"Zhao will also stop at nothing to capture the Avatar," Iroh said.

"I'm not worried about him. He may have the manpower, but we have incentive."

Zuko reached into his pocket and pulled out a golden, three-pronged headpiece shaped like a flame. Iroh's eyes widened.

"Where did you get that?!" he said, making no attempt to hide his shock.

"I found it in the earthbender prison on the outskirts of the mining village."

"But that's..."

"I know. One of the Avatar's flunkeys must have stolen it." Zuko closed his fingers around the headpiece and scowled. "When I find out who, I'll deal with them personally."

Iroh turned away, biting his nails with a nervous grimace.


	10. The Waterbending Scroll

Aang paced back and forth on Appa's saddle, panting and wringing his hands.

"Would you sit down?" Sokka called over his shoulder from Appa's head. "If we hit a bump, you're going to fly off."

"I can't help it!" Aang said.

"What's wrong?" Katara said.

"It's what Roku told me. How in the world am I supposed to master all four elements before the comet comes?!"

"You're the Avatar, Aang. It's probably not as bad as you think," I said.

"Yeah. After all, you've already mastered airbending. One element down, three to go," Sokka said.

"I haven't even started on waterbending, and the North Pole is still weeks of travel away!" Aang said.

Katara grabbed Aang and brought him down to her level. "Calm down, Aang. It's going to be okay. If you want, I could teach you some of what I know."

"Really?"

"Yeah. We'll need to find a good source of water."

"How about down there?" I said, pointing to a flowing waterfall below.

"That'll work."

* * *

"Let's start off with something basic. This move took me a while to perfect, so it's okay if you don't get it right away," Katara said. "You just push and pull the water."

Katara swayed her body and arms back and forth, pushing and pulling a small wave of water.

"Like this?" Aang said, mimicking Katara.

"That's pretty good. With a little more practice, you'll be-"

"Hey, look, I'm doing it!" A large wave moved back and forth with Aang's motions.

Katara dropped her arms. "Wow... I can't believe you got that so fast..."

"It's all because I have an amazing teacher."

"Thanks. Let's try another move."

Sitting by the waterfall, I raised my hand and pulled a thin stream of water out. As the water touched the air, it hardened to ice. I released my hand, and a long rod of ice landed in my lap. I sighed.

"Aaaang!" I heard Sokka cry, followed by a scream and a splash. I looked up and widened my eyes at the large wave rushing towards me. I jumped to my feet, landing in a stretching lunge, and thrust my fist forward. The front of the wave hardened to ice. The rest of the water crashed into the ice and lapped against the shore. I peered out from behind the ice. Appa, laying in the water, rolled over onto his stomach.

"Sorry," Aang called.

"You should be! You just waterbended all our stuff away!" Sokka said, spitting water out of his mouth.

"Maybe there's a market nearby where we can replace all this stuff."

* * *

We found a market near a port, which was bustling with many types of not so nice-looking people. Each wielded some sort of weapon that could chop us up, and each glared daggers at us as we passed.

"So, we have about three copper pieces left from the money Bumi gave us," Sokka said.

"Make that two copper pieces... I couldn't help but buy this." Aang held up a bison whistle. He blew into it, but the only response was an annoyed screech from Momo.

"You know, I have some money of my own," I said. I pulled out a small sack. Sokka took it and glanced inside, his jaw dropping.

"Where did you get this money?!" he said, shaking the bag at me.

"I got it from someone I used to know, and I've been saving it for as long as I can."

"And _why_ exactly didn't you tell us sooner? We'll be feasting tonight!"

I took the coin bag and stuffed it in my pocket. "What part of _saving_ don't you understand? I'll use this to buy us supplies, but we can't splurge and spend it all. Until we get some more money, we'll have to be frugal."

"Ursa's right," Aang said. "Let's go find some booths."

We left the alleyway of suspicious bystanders and to the ocean. We passed by a large, expensive-looking ship.

"You there!" A skinny man with long brown hair jogged over to us. "You kids look like you travel quite a lot. Perhaps you're interested in taking a look at special souvenirs from around the world?"

"Sounds interesting," Aang said.

The man laughed and draped his arm over Aang's shoulder and led him to the ship. "I like you already!"

"I'll go ahead and get some supplies," I said. Sokka and Katara followed Aang up the ramp and inside the ship. I continued down the path. I passed by a booth with different shapes and sizes of baskets and water skins. I stopped and walked back to it. "Do you have any double water skins?"

"Let me see..." the merchant said. He crouched behind the stall and pulled out two water skins connected on a thick, leather strap. "Will this do?"

I took the skins and examined them. I smiled and nodded. I paid the merchant and tied the leather strap around my waist. A water skin rested on each hip. I also purchased a large burlap sack with an over-the-shoulder strap. I expressed my thanks and filled the water skins at the docks. I bought fruits and vegetables from food stalls and placed them inside the sack. Gripping the strap with both hands, I continued to browse.

" _Ursa_!" voices screamed. I whirled around and saw Aang, Sokka, and Katara sprinting towards me.

"Guys? What's wrong...?" I said as they ran past me. Looking forward, I noticed the gang of pirates running towards us. I gasped, turned around, and ran to catch up with my friends.

We turned the corner and ran past villagers, who murmured curiously as we passed by.

"There they are!" More pirates blocked out way forward.

"Hang on, guys!" Aang threw his airbender staff into the air, turning it into a glider, and grabbed ahold of it. We jumped up and grabbed the ends of the glider, flying over the pirates and away from the village.

* * *

"Okay..." I said, setting the burlap sack of food down. " _What_ happened back there?"

"I don't know. Everything was fine until we left the ship, and those pirates chased after us. They were angry with us for some reason," Aang said.

Katara smiled. "Probably because of this." She reached behind her and pulled out a scroll with the Water Tribe symbol on both ends.

Aang and Sokka gasped. "You _stole_ the scroll?!" Sokka said. "No wonder they tried to cut us up and feed us to sea monsters!"

"Where do you think those pirates got this scroll? They stole it from a waterbender!"

"That doesn't matter. You put our lives in danger for the sake of learning some new dance moves!"

"Well... Now that we have it, we might as well use it," Aang said. Sokka threw his hands in the air and stomped away.

Katara opened the scroll and laid it out on a stump. I glanced over their shoulders and at the drawings.

"I'd like to try this move, and then I'll let you use the scroll." Katara pointed to a set of moves called, 'The Single Water Whip'. "Hold it up for me."

Aang held the scroll up, and Katara stepped back. Studying the moves on the scroll, she tried to mimic them. The water came out stringy and unstable, and when Katara tried to whip it, it smacked her in the forehead. She tried again, this time whipping Momo in the butt.

Katara growled. "Why can't I get it?!"

"It's okay, Katara. You'll learn it," Aang said. He stepped near the stream and performed the water whipping move perfectly. "See? It's all about shifting your weight through the-"

"Enough, Aang!" Katara snapped. "Sorry to break it to you, but your 'infinite wisdom' gets on people's nerves. Why don't we just throw the scroll out since you're so naturally gifted?!"

I was taken aback by Katara's outburst. She glanced over at Sokka, who shook his head.

"What?!" she said, looking back at Aang. Her anger melted instantly when she saw the hurt in Aang's eyes. "Oh, my gosh, Aang. I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me." She sighed, rolled up the scroll and handed it to Aang. "Here, you use it. I won't let this happen again."

"It's okay..." Aang said.

* * *

That night, I woke up when I heard quiet footsteps moving around the campsite. I cracked my eyes open and saw Katara crouch down and slip something out of Sokka's bag- the waterbending scroll. She carefully tiptoed past us and into the forest. I crawled out of my sleeping bag, glancing back at Sokka and Aang as they snored peacefully, and hurried after Katara. As I trudged through the trees, I heard her growl and grumble under her breath. I stepped out of the trees and watched her angrily flail her arms around, trying to get a stream of water to do her bidding.

"Katara?" I said. Katara gasped, and the water fell back into the stream. She turned to face me. I glanced at the waterbending scroll resting on a trunk. "It doesn't look like you're done with that scroll."

Katara hung her head. "I'm sorry... I guess I'm a little jealous that Aang learns things so easily. I just want to be able to be as good as you and him."

I sighed. "Katara, I'm _not_ as good as Aang."

"Of course you are. You're a-"

"I'm not a master! If I were, I wouldn't be stuck with only bending ice! Every drop of water I try to command freezes in an instant, and I have no idea why! Gran-Gran told me it had something to do with what's in my heart, but what does that even mean?!" I bowed my head. "That's why I don't like it when you say I'm a master. I don't think of all the things I _can_ do, I think of the one thing I _can't_ do."

I waved my hand in front of me and gathered water around my fingertips. The water froze.

"Calling me a master just reminds me of how much I'm not. How flawed I really am," I said. I dropped my hand to my side. The ice on my fingers slipped off and hit the dirt.

Katara walked over and gripped my hand. "I'm sorry, Ursa. When I call you a master, I always mean it as a compliment. I never thought it would hurt your feelings."

"I know you always mean well. But until I learn more about my icebending and how to thaw it, I'm the furthest thing from a master."

Katara nodded. Something large and metallic scraped against the dirt nearby. We looked at each other with wide eyes and crept over to a large bush. Separating the leaves and peeking through, we saw a Fire Navy skiff docked on the edge of the river.

"They found us?" I gasped.

"We've got to get out of here." Katara grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet. "Let's go!"

Large silhouettes surrounded us: pirates and Fire Nation soldiers alike.

"What do we have here?" The crowd parted, allowing the scarred boy to approach us. "I think it's past your bedtimes."

The pirates and soldiers inched toward us. I thrust my arms out, and a large wave of water rushed towards those in front of me. The water solidified and rammed into some of the soldiers, knocking them to the ground. A pair of hands grabbed my arms. Katara thrashed around.

"Tie them up," the boy said. They forced Katara and I back-to-back and wrapped a thick layer of rope around our torsos. We sat on the ground, staring up at the Fire Nation boy. "Where is he?"

"What makes you think we'll tell you anything?" Katara hissed.

"Because... we're not so different. I need to capture the Avatar to restore something I've lost. Give him to me, and I'll give you back something one of you has lost."

The boy reached into his pocket and pulled out my flame headpiece. My heart leaped into my throat, making me gasp quietly. However, not quietly enough. The boy set his eyes on me and smirked.

"I see... so this is yours," he said.

"W-Where did you get that?" I said breathlessly.

"I found it. You do know what this is, right?"

Katara glanced back at me. "Ursa, what is that?"

"This, little waterbender, is not just any sort of headpiece. It is the symbol of the Fire Nation Royal Family." Katara's eyes widened. "There are only three of this kind, but one of them disappeared years ago." The boy shoved the headpiece in my face. "Where did you get this?!"

"It was a gift to me!" I cried.

"Oh, yeah?! What lowlife stole this for you?!"

"Don't call her that! That's _my_ headpiece!" I thrashed against the ropes, ignoring how they dug into my skin. Tears fell down my face. "It's mine! It's _mine_! Give it back!"

The boy scowled. "What a child," he muttered, turning back to the pirates and soldiers. "Prepare the ship for departure, find the airbender, and bring him to me. He's somewhere around here." The boy turned around. "Guard the girls."

"Very well." My eyes widened when a pair of feet appeared in my peripheral. I trailed them up to the face hovering over me.

Iroh.

He glanced down at me, giving me the tiniest of a nod. _He knows me._

"Find him!" the boy barked. The pirates hurried into the forest while the soldiers and the boy climbed back onto the Fire Navy skiff.

Iroh turned to us. "You've gotten yourself in quite the predicament," he said. He knelt next to us and ignited a tiny flame over his first two fingers. "Hold still."

"What are you doing?! Get away!" Katara said, forcing the both of us to lean away.

"It's okay, Katara," I said, my head bowed. "I trust him."

Katara stared at me with wide, confused eyes. Iroh carefully burned through the bottom layer of the rope and laid the top layer over it.

"Don't give yourselves away. When the time is right, you can break free," Iroh said.

"Thank you, Iroh," I whispered.

"You're welcome... Ursa."

He patted my shoulder with one hand and slipped something into the other. I gasped as my fingers closed around the three-pronged flame. I looked up at Iroh, who gave me a warm smile. Tears pricked my eyes, and my shoulders slumped. I stuffed the headpiece back in my pocket. Commotion erupted from the trees as the pack of pirates returned to the shore. The scarred boy, holding the waterbending scroll, and his soldiers climbed out of the skiff. Aang and Sokka were tied up and surrounded by the pirates.

"I'm so sorry, Aang. This is all my fault," Katara said.

"It's okay," Aang said.

"Give me the boy," the Fire Nation boy said. The pirates stepped forward with Aang.

"Hold on a minute!" Sokka said. "You're really going to trade the _Avatar_ for some silly scroll?"

"Don't listen to him! He wants us to turn against each other!"

The pirate captain turned to Aang. "You're the Avatar?"

"He sure is! Just think of how much he's worth on the black market!" Sokka said. "Probably much more than a stupid piece of paper."

"Shut your mouth!" the scarred boy growled.

"Yeah, Sokka, what are you doing?" Aang said through the side of his mouth.

"What? I'm just speaking with common sense. Think of how much the Fire Lord would pay for the Avatar," Sokka said.

The pirate captain smiled and turned to the Fire Nation soldiers. "Keep your scroll. Once we turn the Avatar in, we'll be able to buy one hundred of them."

The scarred boy scowled. "You're going to wish you hadn't said that." He and two other guards thrust their feet at the pirates, launching fireballs at them. The pirates jumped back. The pirate merchant from before sprinted towards the Fire Nation. He pulled out a couple of smoke bombs and threw them at the soldiers. They exploded, covering the area with thick smoke.

"Now's our chance!" Katara said. We leaned forward, and the ropes snapped off and fell in our laps. We slid the ropes off and climbed to our feet. Katara grabbed my arm and pulled my forward.

We navigated through the smoke, dodging flying weapons and fire blasts. We emerged on the other side unscathed and ran to the pirates' ship. Aang and Sokka followed closely behind.

"We can use this ship to get away," Aang said.

"How are we going to get it in the water?" Sokka said.

Katara perked up and turned to Aang. "We'll waterbend it out."

Aang smiled. Together, they guided the water underneath the boat and lifted it into the water. We climbed up the ladder on the side and sailed down the river.

"They're after us!" Aang said, pointing to the Fire Nation skiff quickly catching up to us. "Can't this thing go any faster?"

"I don't know how to do that! This isn't Water Tribe!" Sokka said.

The skiff cruise alongside us. Pirate leaped across the gap and climbed aboard the ship. Aang summoned a large wave of water onto the ship, washing most of the pirates into the water below. I hardened the water, freezing those who managed to stay on in their place. Katara, determination on her face, raised her arms and successfully performed the water whip, knocking a frozen pirate off the ship. I turned to her and shot her a thumbs up.

"Uh, guys?!" Sokka cried, pointing ahead. The river dropped suddenly, and I could hear the rushing of a waterfall.

"Don't worry! I got this!" Aang said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his bison whistle. Taking a deep breath, he blew into it as hard as he could.

"Are you crazy?! How is that going to help us?!"

The Fire Nation skiff rammed into our boat, launching us out of the ship and over the side of the waterfall. We grabbed onto each other as we freefalled.

"Look!" I cried.

Appa appeared and caught us. We landed inside his saddle and flew away. I looked back at the pirate ship and Fire Nation skiff as they crashed into the water below.

"See? This whistle _does_ come in handy," Aang said.

"We totally owe you one, Appa," Sokka panted. "But he's not the only one who saved the day!" He reached behind him and waved the waterbending scroll in front of us.

"Nice job, Sokka!" Aang said, snatching the scroll away and opening it up.

"Maybe now you'll learn that stealing is wrong."

"Unless it's from pirates."

I stared down at the thin veil of clouds below us. A hand rested on my shoulder. I turned and looked back at Katara, her eyebrows knitted. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the flame headpiece.

"This was given to me by the one who accepted me into her home. She was like a mother to me." I closed my fingers around the golden metal. "I'm not a thief. You've got to believe me."

"Of course I believe you," Katara said. "I'm just... really confused about a lot of things. Who was that old guy from before?"

"I've known him for many years, dating back to when I had my friend. He's always been good to me." I shook my head. "What I don't get is why he's helping that pompous boy. There's got to be a good reason... I just don't know what it is."

"Maybe he'll tell you someday. Or, maybe you'll find out for yourself."

I cupped my chin in my hand and sighed. "Yeah..."


	11. Jet

"Wow..." I whispered as I gazed up at the red and orange trees. "What a beautiful forest."

Right after I finished my sentence, an animal shriek pierced the air. We looked around and found Momo dangling from a trap alongside two hog monkeys. We released them. Sokka knelt by one of the traps.

"These are Fire Nation contraptions," Sokka said. "We'd better pack up and get moving before they find us."

We agreed and started to load our items.

"Wait a minute. I think it would be best if we traveled by land," Sokka said.

"What? Why?" Aang said.

"Think about it. The Fire Nation is always finding us no matter where we go. It's because Appa is a giant, flying bison, making him really easy to spot. We should tough it out and walk."

"Oh, yeah? And who made _you_ boss?" Katara said.

"I'm not the boss, I'm the leader."

Katara snickered. "Leader? If anything, it's Aang. After all, he _is_ the Avatar."

"Look, my instincts tell me we'll have a better chance of slipping through on foot, and a leader has to trust his instincts."

"Fine, then, wise and great leader. Lead the way."

Sokka strapped his backpack on. "Thank you."

* * *

"Are we there yet?" Aang mumbled as we trudged through the forest.

"No!" Sokka cried over his shoulder.

"How do people manage to get around without flying bisons?"

"Maybe you should ask Sokka's instincts!" Katara said.

"Look, I get that you're tired. I'm tired, too. But as long as we keep walking, we'll be safe from the Fire Nation," Sokka said.

We passed through a large bush and froze in our steps as dozens of pairs of eyes fell on us, all belonging to Fire Nation soldiers hanging around their campsite.

"Run!" Sokka cried. We dropped our stuff and ran. A few soldier threw fireballs at the bushes, blocking our way out.

"Well, well. Look who we have here," one soldier with an eyepatch said.

"If you let us go, we promise not to hurt you," Sokka said.

The soldier laughed. " _You_ hurt _us_?"

The soldier stopped laughing and collapsed on the ground with a groan.

"Nice job, Sokka. How'd you do that?" Aang said.

"I didn't..." Sokka said.

"Up there!" Katara pointed to a tree branch, where a boy stood. Pulling out two hook swords, he swung off the branch and knocked two soldiers to the ground. He rushed towards two more soldiers, snagged their ankles with his hook swords, and flipped them over.

"They're in the trees!" a soldier said. A young child landed on his shoulders and shoved his helmet over his eyes. A shower of arrows knocks the swords out of the soldiers' hands.

More people fell from the trees and took down the small Fire Nation army. The boy with the hook swords sheathed his weapons and turned to us.

"Hey, there," he said. "The name's Jet. These are my Freedom Fighters."

We glanced over his shoulder at those ransacking the campsite in search of supplies.

"Thank you for saving us, Jet. We'd be in a lot of trouble if it weren't for you," Katara said.

"I should be thanking you. We've been watching those soldiers all morning, waiting for the right moment to strike. Then you guys stumbled in and gave us our chance to act," Jet said.

"We were relying on instinct." Katara glared at Sokka.

Jet chuckled. "Do that, and you'll get yourself killed in no time."

Sokka folded his arms and scowled.

"Hey, Jet!" The Duke called. "We got all the supplies packed. We're heading back to the hideout."

"You have a hideout?" Aang said.

"Want to see it?" Jet said.

"Yes!" Katara cried abruptly.

* * *

"Here we are," Jet said, and we stopped in the middle of some trees.

"Where's 'here'? I don't see any hideout," Sokka said.

"Exactly." Jet handed Sokka a rope. "Hold onto this."

"Uh, why-?" The rope yanked Sokka up into the trees.

"Here." Jet offered a rope to me.

"Thanks." I took the rope, tightly wrapping my fingers around it. It tugged, yanking me off the ground, up the side of the tree, and onto a wooden platform high above. I released the rope and walked to the edge of the platform. Multiple treehouses were wedged into the trees, each connected by ziplines, ladders, and bridges.

"What a beautiful place you have," Katara said.

"More importantly, the Fire Nation won't be able to find it," Jet said.

"Although they would _love_ to get their hands on you," Smellerbee said.

"Why does the Fire Nation want to capture you?" Katara said.

"Let's just say that we don't get along very well. I'm always there to stir up a little trouble for any soldier that comes by," Jet said with a proud smile. "A few years ago, they took over a small Earth Kingdom village called Gaipan. We've been doing a lot: cutting off their supplies, ambushing their troops, and doing everything we can to mess with them. One day, we'll take back that village and drive the Fire Nation away from it forever."

"That's so brave of you."

"The only brave thing about him is his willingness to almost get himself killed," Sokka mumbled next to me. "I don't like that guy."

"I never would have guessed." I chuckled.

* * *

Nighttime fell, and we sat around a wooden table adorned with apples and meat. Jet lifted his glass and stood up.

"Today, we came one step closer to getting rid of the Fire Nation," Jet said. The Freedom Fighters cheered. "They think that a couple of kids is nothing to worry about... but how wrong they are! Here's to us!"

The Freedom Fighters raised their glasses eagerly, sloshing juice and water on the table and floor.

"I want to thank you again for your help against the Fire Nation," Jet said to Katara and Aang. "I have a plan I've been brewing up, and I want you to help me out."

"Gee, we would _love_ to, but we've got to get going," Sokka said, standing up and walking away.

"Oh, come on, Sokka! I have an important mission that I need you to do for me."

Sokka stopped. "What do you want?"

"Tomorrow morning, we're going to scope out the forest for any Fire Nation people and ambush them. Think you can handle it?"

Sokka sighed. "Fine."

Jet turned to me. "Care to help out, Ursa? I wouldn't want you to be left out of the fun."

"Um..." I glanced up at Sokka, who shrugged. "Sure, I guess."

* * *

Standing on a thick branch of a tall tree, I rested my hand on the trunk to keep my balance. Sokka stood on a branch close by, with Jet standing slightly below. He cupped his hands over his mouth and performed a birdcall. Smellerbee and Pipsqueak poked their heads out from the trees and responded with another call. Sokka stabbed his jaw blade into the side of the trunk and cupped his hands over the handle, pressed his ears to it.

"I don't hear anything..." Sokka said. He paused. "Wait. There's someone coming."

"How many?" Jet said.

"Just one, I think."

Jet called to the others. "Good job. Now, get ready."

Placing a hand on one of my water skins, I planted my feet against the branch. However, I stopped when I saw an old man hobbling down the forest path.

"Wait a minute. It's just an old man," I said. I heard the unsheathing of weapons. Jet hopped down from his branch, clutching his hook swords in his hands.

Jet landed in front of the man and approached him. "What are you doing in our forest, you leech?" he said. My eyes widened. I looked over at Sokka, who scowled and nodded. We leaped from the branches and raced to the Freedom Fighters.

"Please, sir, I'm just traveling through," the old man said. Jet swiped his hook sword, knocking the walking cane out of the man's hand. He turned to run, but he rammed into Pipsqueak and fell to the ground. "Please, have mercy!"

"Mercy?! Does the Fire Nation show mercy?! No! All they do is destroy lives!"

Jet brought his foot back, ready to kick the teeth out of the man's mouth. Sokka swung his club and snagged it against Jet's ankle, halting his kick. I bended the water out of one of my water skins and threw it at Pipsqueak, who had his foot on the man's back to keep him on the ground. The ice rammed into him, causing him to stumble back. I scooped up the man's cane and helped him stand.

"Stop it, Jet! He's just an old man!" Sokka said.

"He's Fire Nation!" Jet said. "Search him!"

"But he's not hurting anyone! You're the one who's picking on him," I said. Pipsqueak yanked the man from my hands, and Smellerbee searched his robes.

Jet turned to Sokka, fuming. "Did you forget that the Fire Nation killed your mother? Think of all the suffering they've caused for everyone else! They're all a bunch of monsters!"

I clenched my fists. "No, they're not!"

Jet looked over his shoulder and glared at me. The pure rage in his eyes sent chills down my spine.

"We got his stuff," Smellerbee said, waving a small bag in the air. Pipsqueak dropped the old man.

"Good. Let's go." Jet, Smellerbee, and Pipsqueak shoved past us and down the path. I looked at the old man. "I said, let's _go_!"

Sokka and I glanced at each other, and we headed down the trail.

* * *

I leaned my head against the trunk of one of the treehouses and fiddled with my thumbs. Sokka sat next to me, his arms crossed.

"I _really_ don't like that guy," Sokka mumbled.

"Me neither," I said.

"Hey, guys," Katara said as she rounded the tree trunk. "Have you seen Jet around?"

"No, and I don't care," Sokka said. "We're leaving."

"What? Why?" Katara said.

"Your boyfriend, Jet, is a thug. He's seriously messed up."

"No, he's not. He just has a different way of life," Aang said.

"He attacked a helpless old man this morning. We watched it happen," I said.

"If we weren't there, Jet and his Freedom Fighters would've beaten him to a pulp!" Sokka said.

Katara folded her arms. "I want to hear that from Jet."

"Fine. Let's go talk to Jet. And once we get everything cleared up and you learn about how much of a jerk he is, we're leaving."

Katara rolled her eyes, and we headed to Jet's treehouse. Katara explained the situation to Jet.

"So... you told them about what happened, but you glossed over the fact that he's Fire Nation?" Jet said.

"Even so, he was harmless," I said.

"Are you sure about that?" Jet pulled out a knife and stabbed it into the table in front of him. He twisted the end of the knife, revealing a small vial of poison. "That 'harmless' man was an assassin sent to kill me."

"I didn't see any knife," Sokka said.

"He was concealing it."

"See?" Katara said. "Now everything is cleared up."

"Everything _isn't_ cleared up! I'm telling you, there was no knife!" Sokka sighed and walked to the door. "I'm going to go pack my stuff."

I turned to the door.

"Don't tell me you're leaving, too," Jet said. I glanced back at him with a scowl.

"Sokka is my family, and we both know what we saw," I said. "Goodbye."

* * *

"Ursa." A pair of hands shook me away. I opened my eyes and saw Sokka hovering over me.

"What is it?" I whispered.

"Jet's on the move."

I perked up and crawled out of my sleeping bag. We peeled back the blanket door and crawled onto the wooden platform. Joining hands, we jumped off the platform. Sokka grabbed onto one of the dangling ropes, and we rode down to the ground. We followed the Freedom Fighters through the forest, perching high up on a tree branch. They came to a stop on a cliff overlooking Gaipan.

"Remember," Jet said, turning to the Freedom Fighters as they stood around the cart they brought with them, "do not blow the dam until I give the signal. The reservoir had to be filled all the way, or else we risk the Fire Nation surviving."

"What about the other villagers in the town?" The Duke said. We hopped down and crawled to a nearby bush.

"If we're going to rid the forest of the Fire Nation, there has to be a price to pay."

"I can't believe this," Sokka hissed. "We can't let Jet get away with this."

A hand snagged my top-knot and yanked me to my feet. Tears stung my eyes from the pain. The tip of a blade pressed against my neck.

"Looks like we got some nasty bugs eavesdropping on us," Smellerbee said with a grin.

Pipsqueak, holding us by the hair, brought us to Jet. He shoved us forward, and we fell on our knees.

"Sokka. Ursa. To what do I owe the pleasure of meeting with you this morning?" Jet said.

"We heard your plan to destroy Gaipan," Sokka said.

"Our plan is to rid the forest of the Fire Nation."

"There are people living down there, Jet: mothers, father, and children trying to live their lives. You're wanting to take that away from them!"

"A sacrifice I'm willing to make."

"You think doing this will make you a hero? That it'll make you better than the Fire Nation?" I said. "You lied to our friends' faces, and now you're justifying killing hundreds of innocent people. If anything, you're _exactly_ like those of the Fire Nation."

Anger flashed in Jet's eyes as he looked at me. " _I'm_ like the Fire Nation? What about you?!"

I tensed. "What _about_ me?"

Jet stepped closer, leaning in my face. "Isn't it obvious? You've been _tainted_ by their filth. You _reek_ of Fire Nation. You're one of them, aren't you?!"

"You're crazy! Ursa lived in the South Pole with me and Katara when we were kids!" Sokka said.

"Where was she before that?" Jet spat before glaring at me again. "Get them out of my sight."

Smellerbee pressed a dagger to my back while Pipsqueak grabbed Sokka. Smellerbee tied my wrists together and shoved me forward. "Get moving, _filth_ ," she hissed.

* * *

The forest was silent except for our footsteps. Sokka and I glanced at each other. His eyes searched the forest. They widened for a brief second. I followed his gaze to a small pile of berries sitting atop a pile of leaves. I perked up. _The Fire Nation traps._

"Hey, Pipsqueak," Sokka said, "why did the possum chicken cross the road?"

"We don't got time for jokes," Pipsqueak said.

"Oh, come on. Just one!"

Pipsqueak rolled his eyes. "Fine. Why _did_ the possum chicken cross the road?"

Sokka and I looked at each other again and took a hard left.

"Hey!" Smellerbee cried, reaching out to grab me. I slipped from her fingers.

We sprinted through the forest, stepping over the berries. We heard metal snap, and we stopped and looked up to see Pipsqueak and Smellerbee hanging inside the Fire Nation animal traps.

"To outsmart the Freedom Fighters," Sokka said with a grin. He fumbled with his wrists, and the rope fell off his wrists. He untied me, too. We hurried down the forest path.

"What now?" I said. "If we try and warn Katara and Aang, we might get stopped by more of Jet's men."

"We're not going to warn them... we're going to warn the town."

I nodded, and we ran faster.

* * *

Riding on the back of Appa, we landed in the center of the town. Those that saw Appa stared in confusion, and the leftovers heard Appa's loud roar.

"Villagers, listen to me!" Sokka said as we climbed off of Appa and stood midst the crowd. "Your town is about to be flooded. We need to have everyone evacuate immediately!"

Fire Nation soldiers pushed their way to the front of the crowd. "Who are you?" they said.

"That's not important. We have to get everyone out of here as soon as possible, or else you'll all be wiped out!"

"How do we know you're not spies?" a voice called from the crowd. The people murmured.

"Please, you have to listen to us!" I said. The soldiers grabbed us.

"Wait!" The crowds behind us separated, and the old man from yesterday approached us. "They're telling the truth."

"Are you sure?" a soldier said.

"Yes. They saved me from being beaten by the Freedom Fighters. They must also be behind what these kids are saying. They are good children. We can trust them," the man said.

The people looked to each other, and they collectively agreed. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Let's go, people! The dams could burst any minute!" Sokka called. We led the people to the gates of Gaipan. I watched as men, women, and children filed out of the town and up the hill, an elevation safe from the floods.

I looked to Sokka with a smile. "We did it."

Sokka nodded. "But we still have Jet to deal with. I can't wait to rub this in his face."

Once all the people were safely evacuated, Sokka and I headed back to Appa. There was a large explosion, and we looked at each other.

"Hurry!" Sokka said. We ran over to Appa and climbed onto his back. Sokka cracked the reins, and Appa lifted up into the sky. I saw the rush of water come crashing toward the town. It plowed through the wall, crushing it, and consumed the town with water. On the side of the river, I saw the people of Gaipan, which helped me relax.

We guided Appa to the cliffside where we first saw Jet. He was still there, but he was stuck to a tree from a layer of ice holding him to it. Katara and Aang turned to us and smiles.

"Ursa! Sokka! You're all right!" Katara said.

I lifted my eyes to Jet. "We stopped your plan, Jet. The people of Gaipan are safe- Earth Kingdom _and_ Fire Nation."

Jet growled. "You traitors! How could you side with the Fire Nation?!"

"No, Jet. _You_ became the traitor when you stopped protecting innocent people," Sokka said.

Katara glanced back at Jet. "Goodbye, Jet," she whispered.

Katara and Aang climbed onto Appa, and we rode away from the forest.

"How come you went to the village instead of the dam?" Aang said.

"My instincts told me to," Sokka said. I chuckled.

"...Did your instincts also tell you to go the wrong way?"

Sokka paused and tugged on the reins, turning Appa around. "Okay, so they're not perfect."

I smiled and looked out at the red and orange forest below. I felt eyes on me. I looked up at Sokka. He turned away immediately and cracked the reins.

 _Great,_ I thought, _n_ _ow they_ all _have questions._


	12. The Storm

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

 **I'm skipping "The Great Divide" because it's very much a filler episode, and I didn't feel like covering it.  
**

 **Happy reading!**

* * *

I woke up to Aang's sharp gasp. My eyes shot open, pumping a dose of adrenaline into my bloodstream. I sat up and turned to Aang, who panted quietly.

"Are you okay, Aang?" Katara said, rubbing her eyes.

"It's nothing. I just had a bad dream," Aang mumbled.

"Again? You've been having them for a while now. Anything you want to talk about?"

"I'm fine. I just need some sleep."

Aang laid back down turned over on his side, meeting my eyes. He quickly looked away.

* * *

We woke up again, this time in the morning. We packed our things on Appa's back.

"Look at these clear skies," Aang said. A flock of ducks flew over our head. "We'll be flying very smoothly today."

"Any chance we can stop by a market during our smooth flying? We're out of food," Katara said.

"Sure thing."

* * *

We flew to a seaside village about ten minutes north from our previous campsite. As we started to browse, Katara gasped.

"Wait a minute," she said, "how much money do we have on us?"

"Ursa's our bank teller," Aang said. "How much do you have left?"

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the small money sack. I peered inside, and my eyes went wide. I dug my hand into the bag and pulled out a few copper pieces.

"That's it?!" Sokka said. "What about your whole speech about being frugal?!"

"I gave that speech a month ago. Our money was going to run out eventually if we kept spending it, regardless of how much we tried to save," I said, shoving the pieces back into my pocket.

"That's great. How are we supposed to get food?"

"You could always just get a job," Katara said.

"Please, you must not go out there!" a woman cried. We turned and saw a fisherman and his wife. The wife tugged on his arm to get him to stop. "There is a storm coming, a big one!"

"You're crazy! Look at the skies: no clouds, no winds, nothing that indicates a storm," the fisherman said.

"My joints say there's going to be a bad storm!"

"Well, it's your joints against _my_ brain."

"Good luck getting someone to haul all that fish for you, 'cause I ain't doing it!"

"Fine, then! I'll fine someone who'll do it twice as good as you!"

Sokka perked up, and he jogged over to the fisherman.

"I'll do it," he said.

"You're hired!" the fisherman said.

"Actually... maybe we should find some shelter for the night," Aang said.

"Shelter from what? That big, bad storm the old lady was nagging about?" Sokka said. "We've got nothing to worry about."

* * *

As the day went on, the clear, blue skies were chased away by a thick, ominous haze of gray clouds. I heard rumbling in the distance from thunder.

"Sokka, I really think you should stay here," Aang said.

"I already said I'd do the job, and I'm not going back on my word just because of some clouds. Besides, how else are we going to pay for food?" Sokka said, carrying a sack into the lower deck.

"The boy with the tattoos knows what he's talking about! You should listen to him!" the fisherman's wife said before stomping away.

The fisherman paused. "Boy with tattoos?" he turned to Aang. "I recognize those airbender arrows. You're the Avatar, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am," Aang said with a smile.

"Don't get too cocky about it," the fisherman snapped. "The Avatar disappeared for one hundred years! You turned your back on the world."

"You should show him some respect. Aang would never do something like that," I said, my arms folded.

The fisherman snorted. "He wouldn't, huh? I guess the last one hundred years of war, death, and destruction were just a figment of my imagination."

"Stop it! Aang is the bravest person I know. He's done nothing but help people. It's not his fault he disappeared, right, Aang?" Katara said. There was no response. We turned and saw Aang back away slowly. "Aang?"

Aang turned around, jumped into the air, and flew away on his glider.

"Aang!" Katara cried. She clenched her fists and scowled at the fisherman. "Look what you did. Come on, Ursa."

We climbed on Appa's back and took off. Appa slapped the water, soaking the fisherman with a big splash of water.

* * *

As we climbed higher up the mountains overlooking the village, the dark clouds caught up. A heavy rain poured from the clouds. I waved my hand above my head and created a sheet of ice that hovered over us, keeping me, Katara, and Appa dry.

"Down there," I said, pointing at a small cave opening in the side of the mountain. We landed and hurried over to the opening. I wrung out my ponytail and tossed it back over my shoulder.

Aang sat on his knees, his back turned to us and his head bowed.

"I'm sorry I ran away," Aang said.

"It's not your fault. That fisherman was out of line," Katara said.

"Actually, he wasn't completely lying... but I don't want to talk about it."

"It's about your dreams, isn't it? Talk to us; we're here to listen."

A low grumbled filled the room. A soaking Appa crawled into the cave and pressed his nose against Aang's cheek. Aang smiled and pet his forehead.

"Okay," Aang said.

"I'll get a fire started," I said.

I stepped further into the cave, carefully dragging my feet across the ground to see if they catch against anything. After gathering a small bundle of sticks, I returned. Pulling rocks from the sides of the cave, I made a small circle of stones, placed the sticks in a teepee formation, and stuffed pine needles underneath for kindling. I grabbed two, small rocks and struck them, creating sparks. The pounding of the rocks echoed against the cave walls.

* * *

 _"Zuko, come quick!" I cried, bursting into his room._

 _Zuko glanced up from a book. He sat up straight. "What's going on?" he said._

 _"I want to show you something! Come on, come on!" I ran over, grabbed Zuko's hand, and dragged him out of his room. His book fumbled out of his other hand and fell on his bed. "Hurry up!"_

 _Zuko picked up his pace so we ran side by side down the hallway. When we came to an intersection, I turned harshly to the right, yanking Zuko and causing him to stumble. I giggled._

 _"Out here," I said as we ran into the gardens._

 _"Okay... What did you want to show me?" Zuko said._

 _I turned around with a giddy smile. "Ta-da!" I jumped to the side to show a pre-lit stick fire, shaped like a teepee. "With this, I can make my own kind of firebending!"_

 _I picked up two smooth rocks and knelt near the fire. I struck the rocks together like I was clapping my hands. Zuko covered his mouth to stifle his snickers, but his shoulders still shook._

 _"You're doing it wrong," Zuko said through his laughter. He kneeled next to me and took the rocks from my hands. "You have to strike them like this."_

 _Zuko scraped the rocks vertically, creating some sparks._

 _"Let me try," I said, holding my hands out. Zuko gave me the rocks, and I imitated the motion. Sparks spilled from the rocks and fell on the kindling, causing them to smoke. My eyes lit up, and I struck the rocks again. The sparks fell on the kindling, and created a small fire. I squealed in excitement. "I did it! I firebended!"_

 _Unable to keep it inside, Zuko doubled over and laughed aloud._

* * *

"Uh... Ursa?" Katara said. "I think the fire's good enough."

I blinked rapidly and sat up straight, realizing I was still striking the rocks long after the fire started blazing.

"Right," I set the rocks aside and sat back on my knees.

Aang took a deep breath. "I'll never forget the day the monks told me I was the Avatar. I was with some kids by the southern wall, trying to teach them how to perform the air scooter. Gyatso and the other monks called me inside, where they told me I was the Avatar. Apparently, they had known I was the Avatar since I was a child because the toys I chose to play with were Avatar relics," Aang said. "Most Avatars find out about their destinies when they're sixteen, but the monks sensed the coming of the war, so they told me four years early."

"So, you were upset when they said you were the Avatar? Why wouldn't you be excited?" Katara said, stoking the fire with a stick.

"I didn't know how to feel. But when I found out, things began to change. The kids stopped playing with me because I was the Avatar. The only real friend I had was Gyatso, but the other monks didn't approve of his interactions with me when I could've been training."

"He was your guardian, right?" I said. "He knew how to balance fun and training. He knew what was best for you."

"Even so, the monks couldn't see it." Aang hugged his legs to his chest. "I followed them and listened to their discussion. They told Gyatso that he couldn't be my guardian anymore. They were going to send me away to the Eastern Air Temple."

"That's terrible," Katara said. She reached out to place a hand on Aang's shoulder, but he stood up on his feet and walked to the wall.

"How could they do that to me? They wanted to take away everyone I knew and love!" Aang cried. A powerful wind current burst from his body, and his tattoos glowed. The wind current hit the fire. I gasped and scooted back as hot cinders broke away from the fire and landed near my legs.

* * *

~TPPOV~

 _"Come on, Zuzu. If you're going to get better at firebending, you have to_ try _," Azula said, a smirk on her face._

 _"Stop calling me that!" Zuko growled. He lunged for Azula, but she stepped out of the way, her arms folded. "You want fire? Fine! I'll give you fire!"_

 _Zuko thrust his fist towards Azula, shooting a fire blast at her. Azula cartwheeled out of the way. The fire continued to fly._

 _Ashe stepped through the doorway. "Hi, guys," she said with a smile and a wave. Her eyes widened as the fire flew towards her._

 _"Ashe, look out!" Zuko cried._

 _The fire hit the middle of Ashe's right forearm. A blood-curdling scream erupted from her mouth. Zuko's face contorted into horror; even Azula was shocked. Ashe fell to her knees and clutched her forearm as she continued to scream._

 _"What is going on?!" Ursa cried as she stepped through the doorway. She looked down at Ashe and gasped. She knelt next to her and held her shoulders. "What happened?"_

 _"Zuko burned her!" Azula said, shoving her finger at her brother._

 _"I didn't mean to! Azula was teasing me about my firebending, and... and..." Zuko panted._

 _"Let me see it," Ursa said softly._

 _Ashe, sobbing quietly, pulled her forearm away from her body and showed the inside to Ursa. The burn was two inches long, wrapping around the perimeter of the center of her forearm, and the skin was deep red. Blisters began to form. Ursa gently placed her hand underneath Ashe's arm; Ashe whimpered from the pain._

 _"Let's get this treated," Ursa said. She helped Ashe to her feet, and they stepped out of the room._

 _Zuko sprinted out of the room, resting his hand on the door frame. "Ashe! I'm so sorry!"_

 _Ashe stopped, forcing Ursa to stop, too. Ashe turned around, tears streaming down her face. Her shoulders shook in rhythm with her sniffling. She held her arm close to her chest, but Zuko could still see the blistery, dark red. She turned back around, and she and Ursa walked down the hall. Zuko's hands fell to his side, a deep frown etched into his skin._

* * *

Sitting up straight, I gingerly ran my fingers down my forearm.

"I'm sorry." Aang turned around and sat at the fire again.

"You have a right to be angry for the monks sending you away," Katara said.

"Well... they didn't send me away. That is, they were going to, but I beat them to it. I was so confused and afraid... so I ran away. I never saw Gyatso or any of the airbenders again. I got caught in a terrible storm. Appa and I were pulled underneath the waves. I went into the Avatar State and made that iceberg so we wouldn't drown. The next thing I remember was waking up after you guys found me in the iceberg." Aang clenched his fists. "Then the Fire Nation attacked the air temples. My people needed me, but I couldn't help them. The _world_ needed me, but I ran away like a child. The fisherman was right; I _did_ turn my back on the world."

"That's not true, Aang. Think about it- if you had stayed, you would've been killed alongside the others. I believe it was meant to be this way." Katara smiled. "You're here now, and that's what's important. People are beginning to hope again because of you."

Aang lifted his head and smiled.

* * *

~TPPOV~

"I... I always thought that Prince Zuko got in a training accident," Lieutenant Jee said, setting his cup of tea on the small table between him and three others. "To even consider that his own father... did _that_ to him..."

"It was no accident," Iroh said, the dancing flames of the fire illuminating his face. "Because Zuko refused to fight, Fire Lord Ozai saw it as shameful weakness. Banishment is his punishment, and the only way he'll be able to return home and regain his honor is if he captures the Avatar."

"So that's why he's so obsessed. I thought his attitude was because he's a spoiled prince."

"It goes much deeper than that." Iroh set his tea down. "Prince Zuko has lived a life full of hardships. Very few people have entered his life that have helped to carry the burdens weighing on his shoulders, but because of his father, they were taken away from him."

"Well... you're still here."

"I'm not talking about myself. After the disappearance of the Fire Lord's wife, Princess Ursa, there was one other person left who Zuko felt he could truly rely on. You recall hearing about a child that the Royal Family accepted as one of their own, yes?"

"I heard about it, but I never saw her. I thought it was just a rumor," one sailor chimed.

Iroh shook his head. "The Fire Princess and Zuko found the girl seven years ago, buried in the snow and nearly frozen to death. How she got there, no one knows. They cared for her until she recovered, and she lived in the Royal Palace. Prince Zuko became close friends with the girl, but the Fire Lord was suspicious of her and her true origins. When Zuko had to face his father in an Agni Kai, his friend was forbidden to attend. I still remember the pounding of her fists against the entrance.

"Shortly after the Agni Kai finished and Zuko was banished, the girl disappeared. Zuko immediately jumped to the worst conclusion: that she is dead. However, neither side realizes that they have met several times in the recent past. Until the day comes that their identities are revealed, the Avatar holds all of Zuko's hope."

* * *

~ASHE~

"Help! Help, please!" We turned to the cave entrance and saw the fisherman's wife. We jumped to our feet.

"It's all right, you're safe now," Katara said. "What are you doing so far up here?"

"My husband is in danger! He and your brother still haven't returned from fishing. They're caught out at sea."

"I'll find them," Aang said.

"We're coming with you," I said.

We hurried outside, climbed into Appa's saddle, and flew into the raging storm. The rain soaked my skin and clothes almost instantaneously. A flash of lightning ripped through the sky like a scar, followed immediately by roaring thunder that made my ears ring. Even from our height, the waves were a few feet from lapping against Appa's paws.

"There!" I said, having to scream for the others to hear me. My throat felt hoarse. I wiped my eyes profusely to keep water out. The wind howled in my ears.

The fisherman's boat lurched on the surface of the waves, sometimes even catching air when climbing over them. I could see Sokka and the fisherman clinging desperately to the railings of the boat. Aang jumped off of Appa and onto the ship. A bolt of lightning struck the boat's mast, and it teetered towards Aang. He summoned geysers from the water flooding the boat, slicing the mast in half.

"Hang on!" Aang cried, handing a rope to Sokka and the fisherman. They wrapped the rope around their torsos. Aang turned and sprinted back to us. He leaped into the air. The rope tugged, and Sokka and the fisherman followed. They swung high in the air and landed in the saddle.

"Are you guys okay?!" Katara said.

"Just peachy!" Sokka said, spitting salt water out of his mouth.

A giant wave carrying the boat rose behind us. I uttered a sharp gasp before the wave swallowed us up. The pressure made my ears and head hurt. Bubbles rose from my mouth as I fought to preserve the air in my lungs. I started feeling weightless. My grip on Appa's saddle began to loosen.

A bright light shined in front of me. I peeled my eyes open and watched Aang climb back onto Appa's head, his tattoos glowing white. He pounded his fists together, creating a giant air bubble. Gravity pulled the rest of us back onto the saddle. I gasped deeply, resupplying my parched lungs.

We broke through the water. Above me, the clouds were parted slightly, allowing a circle of the sky to show and shine light down on us. The rain had completely subsided in this area- the eye of the storm.

The repugnant smell of smoke filled my nostrils. I looked down and saw a Fire Navy ship floating in the water. On the deck of the ship, I saw Iroh and the scarred Fire Nation boy. However, instead of attacking us, they let us fly away peacefully.

* * *

We landed back on the cliffside, next to the cave opening.

"Thank goodness you're safe!" the fisherman's wife cried, throwing her arms around her husband. "You owe this boy an apology."

"It's not necessary," Aang said. He turned to Katara. "You were right before. It's not good for me or anyone else if I keep dwelling on the past. I'm here now, and I'm going to make the most of it."

"I think those nightmares won't bother you anymore," Katara said.

"Boy, if you weren't here now, I wouldn't be either," the fisherman said, resting a hand on Aang's shoulder. "Thank you for saving my life, Avatar."

"Hey, guys," Sokka said at the cave opening, "it stopped raining."

We exited the cave and stood on the cliffside. The dark clouds thinned, and streams of light shined down on us and the waters, warming my skin and helping to dry my sopping wet clothes. Birds chirped nearby. A light breeze picked up, and I held my ponytail down as the small hairs around my face caressed my cheeks. I smiled.

* * *

~TPPOV~

 _There was a knock at the door._

 _"Come in," Ursa said. The door opened, and Zuko peeked inside._

 _"Are you sure?" he said._

 _Ashe looked up from staring at the gauze being wrapped around her forearm. She nodded. Zuko stepped inside, his hands clasped behind his back and his head bowed._

 _"We'll give you some time alone," Ursa whispered to Ashe. She led the nurse out of the room, leaving the two kids alone._

 _Zuko shuffled over to Ashe's bedside. Ashe stood up and faced him._

 _"Ashe..." Zuko said. He fell to his knees and bowed his face close to the floor. "I'm really,_ really _sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I promise I'll never firebend again. Will you ever forgive me?"_

 _Ashe stared at the back of Zuko's head in surprise. Slowly, a smile grew on her face. She crouched down and tapped Zuko's shoulder. He lifted his head._

 _"It's okay," she said. "I was never mad at you."_

 _She held out her hand. Zuko accepted it, and they stood up._

 _"Really?" Zuko said._

 _"Really. Although, there is one thing..."_

 _Zuko tensed. "What?"_

 _Ashe reached up and flicked Zuko in the forehead._

 _"Ow!" Zuko hissed. He stumbled back and rubbed his forehead._

 _"That's for making me cry_ and _for making such a stupid promise." Ashe placed her hands on her hips and scowled. "I won't let you keep it. Firebending is a part of who you are, and I would forever be angry at myself if I were the reason you couldn't be you."_

 _Zuko peeked past his hand and smiled. "Okay, then. Instead, I promise I'll firebend for the rest of my life."_

 _Ashe smiled. "That's better."_


	13. The Blue Spirit

I wrung out a damp cloth and placed it on Sokka's forehead. I kept my distance as he hacked up a storm. He trembled inside his sleeping bag, even though his face felt hot and sweat profusely.

"You know what I love most about Appa?" Sokka said. "He says the funniest things."

"That's nice of you to say," I said. "I'm sure he appreciates that."

Appa grumbled, causing Sokka to giggle.

"Classic Appa," he said.

I sighed and turned to Katara. "I can't tell if he's getting better. Being out in that storm did quite a number on him."

Katara looked up from the small kettle she had over a tiny fire. "Poor thing."

I glanced back at Sokka, whose trembling made him look insane. I pressed the back of my hand against his cheek; it was burning hot.

"I couldn't find any ginger root for the tea, but I did find this map," Aang said as he approached us. He crouched down and spread the map out. "There's an herbalist living on the top of that mountain over there. They probably have a cure for Sokka."

"Sokka's in no condition to travel. If he just gets some rest, I'm sure he'll be fine by-" Katara said, but her sentence was interrupted by a cough.

"Not you, too."

"It was just a little cough. I'm fi-i..." Katara went into a coughing fit.

"That's it. In bed," I said, laying out her sleeping bag in Appa's fur. Katara complied with a groan. "I'll take care of these two. You go and get the medicine." I glanced outside as a flash of lightning cut through the air. "Maybe it'd be better if you walked."

Aang nodded and set his airbender staff against a stone pillar.

"I'll be back soon," he said. He leaped out of the ruins of Taku and down into the forest below.

Katara and Sokka began their own conversation of hacking coughs. I sighed deeply.

"Don't worry, guys," I said, peeling the sticky cloth off Sokka's forehead, "you'll feel better in no time."

Appa growled in agreement. Sokka burst into laughter.

"Good one, buddy!" he said. I chuckled nervously.

Taking out another cloth, I dipped both strips of fabric into the warm water and wrung them out. Tightening my fingers, the water droplets in the cloths froze, making the fabric stiffer. I headed back over to the Water Tribe siblings and laid the cold cloths on their foreheads.

"It's so hot..." Katara mumbled, sweating already covering her face.

I eyed Aang's staff. I walked over and stood it up straight. I turned it over, examining it to see how it works. I tapped the end of the staff against the stone floor, and its gliders popped up, startling me a little. I walked over to Katara and Sokka and fanned them with the glider.

"Now I'm cold!" Katara cried, wrapping his sleeping bag tighter around his body.

I stopped fanning. I tapped the staff against the ground and retracted the gliders.

"Need... water..." Sokka rasped, reaching a hand into the air.

I glanced at the kettle of water. It was too hot to drink, and if I tried to cool it down, I would just end up freezing it. I picked up Katara's water skin and the kettle in one hand and held Aang's staff in the other.

"I'll be right back," I said, and left the ruins. As I walked down the path, I could see the river flowing through the abandoned city at the bottom. I paused to gaze at the vast ruins. Far below, I could make out a statue of a badger mole.

I made it to the bottom of the path and knelt by the river. I filled the kettle and the three water skins I had with me. I cupped my hands into the cool, flowing water and drank some of it myself. Some of the water caught in my throat, and I lifted my elbow up and coughed into it.

However, my coughing lasted a lot longer, and it reached a certain point where the water wasn't the problem.

 _Uh, oh..._

I cleared my throat and stood up. I gathered my things and headed back to the path. A low blast of noise made me stop. I turned and searched the trees, but I couldn't find the source. It definitely didn't come from an animal. Was that a signal horn?

I climbed back up the path. Halfway up, I paused to catch my breath. I felt fatigued all of a sudden. Using Aang's staff as a crutch, I climbed the rest of the way to the ruins. I tossed Katara's water skin between them. Sokka grabbed it first and started to chug it down. I swiped my forehead, thick with sweat. I looked out at the view. The wind had picked up, making all the trees lean to the side. Aang should've been back by now.

Speaking of the devil, as I continued to look at the view, I saw a tiny, orange and yellow silhouette fall from the trees. He disappeared as quickly as he appeared, and he was followed by several other silhouettes swinging down from ropes.

 _Oh, no._

I turned back to Appa and Momo. "Keep an eye on them for me," I said. Grabbing Aang's airbender staff, I jogged out of the ruins.

* * *

The winds were hurricane status. They beat against my ears and face, giving me a headache. My hair cracked against my skin like a whip. Every time I walked, I dug Aang's staff into the ground for better support and to avoid getting swept off my feet.

My stomach churned painfully, and my skin experienced consistent hot flashes. I stopped and doubled over, panting deeply and sweating profusely. I lifted my head at the path before me. I saw arrows embedded into the grass; Aang and whoever was chasing him were here. I continued down the sloped path. It led me to a swamp.

"Aang!" I called. The winds had died down, but I wished they hadn't. My skin and innards were boiling. "Aang, where are you?"

My energy was depleting fast. My vision grew blurry. All I could hear was blood pounding in my ears and my gasping breaths. I _really_ didn't feel good.

 _Maybe I should stop and take a rest._ I thought, but my body beat me to it. I collapsed onto my knees for a brief second before falling to the ground. I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

~TPPOV~

Aang grunted as he tried to break free from the chains holding him to two tall, sturdy pillars with the Fire Nation symbol carved into them. His clothes were worn from arrow holes, courtesy of the Yuyan Archers that chased him down and captured him. Four soldiers stood guard at the other side of the door. The door opened, and they separated, allowing Admiral Zhao to enter and approach Aang.

"Hello, Avatar. You don't look as great and mighty as I imagined. I'm kind of disappointed," Zhao said as he walked around Aang. "I don't know how you managed to remain hidden from the Fire Nation for one hundred years, but your record is over."

"I _wasn't_ hiding. Untie me, and I'll fight you right now!" Aang growled.

"Hm... No thanks." Zhao stopped with his back to Aang. He turned with a smirk. "So, how does it feel to be the last airbender left in this world? It must get terribly lonely." Aang's scowl fell and he hung his head. "Don't worry. You won't die the same way as those cowards. You'll just be reborn somewhere else, and our search will have to start all over again. I'll keep you alive... but just barely."

As Zhao headed back to the door, Aang took a deep breath and launched a wind current at him. It rammed into Zhao's back, and he slammed into the wall. Zhao stood back up and glared at Aang.

"Admiral Zhao," a soldier said at the door. He was carrying Aang's staff. Aang's eyes widened.

"What do you want?!" Zhao barked.

"We found one of the Avatar's traveling companions in the swamps after the Archers captured him."

Another soldier stepped inside with Ashe hanging heavily in his arms. Her face was soaked with sweat, and she trembled severely. Aang gasped. As Zhao examined Ashe, his smile returned.

"Now there's a face I haven't seen in a while," Zhao mumbled so Aang couldn't hear. "Leave her in here. Don't worry about chaining her up; she's in no condition to run away."

The guard dropped Ashe next to Aang. She groaned and laid across the floor, her head propped up by a small step.

"Make yourselves comfortable. There's no way you'll be able to escape," Zhao said, and he left the room.

Aang struggled more in his chains. "Ursa. Ursa, wake up!" he cried, but Ashe didn't respond at all. She hacked in her sleep. Aang turned to the guards watching the door. "Please, help her! She's sick!"

"Quiet in there!" a soldier barked.

The silence from outside came again, but only for a short moment before Aang heard fighting grunts. Something slammed against another object, and he heard a guard hit the ground. He heard sharp ticking noises from the locks being pickpocketed.

"...Hello?" Aang called. There was no answer.

The door opened, and a silhouette stepped into the room. His body was cloaked in black, save the strange, blue, smiling mask over his face. He reached behind him and unsheathed dual broadswords. He sprinted towards Aang; Aang screamed and closed his eyes. The Blue Spirit swiped his swords and cut through the metal of the chains holding Aang, cutting them clean off. The Blue Spirit headed for the door.

"Wait," Aang said. The Blue Spirit turned and watched Aang kneel next to Ashe. "My friend is sick; she can't move on her own."

Despite the mask, Aang could feel the Spirit's impatience. Sheathing one sword, he walked over, scooped Ashe up, and threw her over his shoulder. Aang watched Ashe's trembling cease altogether, something that made him raise his eyebrow. The Blue Spirit pointed to the door with his sword. Aang nodded, and the two left the room, passing by one of the guards, who was tied up and gagged. Aang followed the Blue Spirit, keeping an eye on Ashe as she lay slumped against his back just in case she slipped off. They came to a sewer grate. The Blue Spirit shoved the blade through the crack and looked to Aang. Aang hurried over and pulled the grate off. The Blue Spirit hopped into the sewer, and Aang followed.

They crept against the walls, careful to hide in the thin shadows the grates provided to avoid being detected by those walking around above. The Blue Spirit stopped and threw Ashe onto Aang. Aang stumbled and held the two of them up. The Blue Spirit peeked his head through the grates, and when he saw the coast was clear, climbed out. He reached down and grabbed Ashe by the collar of her shirt, hoisting her through the grates while keeping her from banging her head against the metal. Aang climbed out.

They ran over to the wall, where a rope hung off the side.

"Uh..." Aang whispered as the Blue Spirit grabbed onto the robe. He pointed at Ashe. "How are we going to get her up there?"

The cry of an alarm echoed from the watchtower above.

"There he is!" a guard cried. One guard up on the wall cut the rope with a sword.

Unsheathing a sword, the Blue Spirit pointed to the open gate. They made a break for it.

"The Avatar has escaped! Close all the gates!" Zhao called from a balcony on the side of the fortress.

"Hurry!" Aang called, running past the Blue Spirit. A wall of soldiers blocked the way. Aang thrust his hands out and created a giant wind current, blowing them off to the sides. While Aang ran to the closing gates, a soldier lunged at the Blue Spirit. He jumped back and swiped his sword, cutting the tip of the spear off.

Aang finally turned around, realizing the Blue Spirit wasn't with him. He saw him surrounded by guards, one hand holding Ashe on his shoulder while the other held out a broadsword. A battle cry woke Aang's senses, and he turned and swerved as a soldier thrust a spear at him. He threw a wind current at the soldier, slamming him into the wall. On a weapon rack near the wall, Aang saw his airbender staff. He created a wind current to pull it over to him. Catching it in his hand, he slammed it into the ground, blowing away the guards surrounding the Blue Spirit in a large tornado.

"Up you go!" Aang cried, and he catapulted the Blue Spirit into the air. He landed in a somersault on the top of the wall. Aang followed soon after and grabbed the Blue Spirit, using his glider to fly them over the soldiers that threw spears at them.

Aang lost his balance, and the three tumbled onto the top of the next wall. He lifted his head and saw more soldiers climbing up to greet them.

"Now would be a really great time to wake up!" Aang called to Ashe, who lay asleep on the ground.

* * *

~ASHE~

I dreamed I was in the middle of a cheering crowd. The noise kept getting louder and louder until it finally pulled me from sleep. My senses kicked in gradually: the smooth metal I rested on, the cool night air, and a _lot_ of yelling. I opened my eyes and slowly sat up. My headache had gone down a little. I groaned and clutched my head.

A spear flew in front of my face. I scooted back with a gasp; I was no longer tired. I looked up and saw Aang fighting one wave of Fire Nation soldiers. I also saw a mysterious ally fighting the other wave. He was shrouded in black, save the blue mask hiding his face.

Strange... That mask looked familiar.

As I climbed to my feet, I noticed the thin layer of mildew coating the top of the wall. As more soldiers advanced, running down the wall and climbing up using bamboo ladders, I thrust my hand toward the ground. The mildew froze, covering the stretch of metal in a layer of ice. The soldiers slipped and fell to the ground, some even flying over the side of the wall.

" _What_ is going on?!" I cried.

"I don't think this is a good time to explain!" Aang said, grabbing two of the three bamboo ladders. "We gotta go!"

The masked being rushed over to me, threw me over his shoulder, and jumped onto Aang's backs. I bit my tongue to prevent protesting, since now wasn't a good time to do so. Aang jumped onto the bamboo ladder still leaning against the wall, and it teetered away. He placed the second one in his arms on the ground, and then the third one that the masked being held in his free arm, creating a domino-like effect. On the third ladder, as we reached the gate, a soldier lit the ladder on fire. The fire traveled quickly up the ladder, and before it could swallow us, Aang jumped. Aang reached for the wall, but it was just out of his reach. Recognizing this, the masked being threw me up onto the top of the wall. I rolled across the metal. I jumped to my feet and looked over the wall at the two below me. Guards lined up and thrust their arms out, shooting fire at them. Aang shoved the masked being behind him and created an air dome around them. The air and the fire mixed together.

"Stop!" The soldiers obeyed. I watched Zhao step through them. "The Avatar must be captured alive."

Drawing out his dual broadswords, the masked being held the blades of the swords at Aang's throat. Aang let out a choked noise. There was silence.

Zhao scowled. "Let them out."

"But Admiral..." a man standing next to him said.

"I said, let them out!"

The gates slowly opened. I climbed onto the edge of the wall and jumped down, bending my knees as I landed in the grass below. I pressed my back against the wall and watched the masked being lead Aang down the dirt path, stepping further and further away from the fortress.

 _I can't believe that worked._

"Do you have a clear shot?" I heard Zhao say above me. I looked up the wall, but from my angle, all I could see was the glow of a fire under a canopy. "Knock out the thief."

I heard the twang of a bowstring. Through the darkness, an arrow soared towards Aang, followed by the sharp clang of metal against metal. The masked being fell to the ground.

"Aang!" I called. I hopped onto the path and sprinted towards him. Another arrow hit the ground next to me, making my heart leap into my throat and my feet fly faster. As I drew nearer to Aang, he lifted his arms to the sky and kicked up a storm of dust, shrouding us from those watching at the fortress. "Aang, are you okay?"

"Yeah," Aang said. He knelt by the unconscious masked being. The mask had been misaligned from the arrow striking it, and I saw red tainting fair skin. My eyes widened. Aang reached over and pulled the mask off, revealing the scarred Fire Nation boy.

Aang gasped and fell back on his butt. A stampede of footsteps grew closer quickly, and through the settling dust cloud, I could see a small fleet of soldiers sprinting toward us.

"Grab his stuff," Aang said, lifting the boy onto his back. I looked at the mask and dual broadswords laying on the ground. I gingerly pick up the swords in one hand and the mask in another. We hurried into the trees nearby.

* * *

"Here should be good," Aang said, stopping at a small incline between two trees. He laid the scarred boy against the incline, creating a pile of leaves to rest his head on. I set the broadswords next to him. I held the blue mask in my hands, pausing a moment to examine it.

 _Where have I seen this before?_

While I continued to stare, my head filled with blasting, triumphant music, cringing monologues, and a poster of two dragon heads curved together like a heart.

"Oh!" I cried abruptly.

"What's wrong?" Aang said. I perked up at Aang, who sat on a tree root above the incline.

"Oh, uh... I recognized this mask from somewhere. It's from a play called _Love Amongst the Dragons_ ," I said. I chuckled. "I saw it many times back when my maternal figure used to take me to see it. Every year, I always laughed at how terrible it was." I laid the mask next to the broadswords and stood up. "So, what do we do?"

Aang glanced up at the sky, which had turned from dark blue to gray, then gray to light yellow. "It's morning. He might wake up soon. When he does... I want to talk to him."

"Are you sure he'll listen? What if he attacks you?"

Aang shrugged. "We'll just wait and see. Would you mind hiding?"

"Fine." I walked a few steps down the incline, hopped over the large, protruding root Aang sat on, and sat behind it. I gently stirred my water skins to make sure there was water in them. I heard the boy stir. Carefully, I leaned forward and watched him. He saw Aang, but didn't attack. Perhaps he was registering everything.

"I had a lot of friends growing up, back before I disappeared," Aang said. "Before the war started, I used to always visit my friend, Kuzon. We would always get in _so_ much trouble, but he was one of the best friends I had. He was from the Fire Nation, just like you." The boy remained silent. Aang turned to him with a smile. "Do you think, if we knew each other back then, we could've been friends?"

There was no answer for a few moments. The boy clenched his fists. As he climbed to his feet and launched a fireball, I jumped out, popped the tops of my water skins, and swiped my arm diagonally, pulling all the water out. The water froze into a slab of ice that flew in front of Aang, colliding with the fire and creating a cloud of steam. Aang leaped up into the tree branches and disappeared. I dropped my arm back to my side, meeting my gaze with the boy's. I turned on my heel and ran away, leaving him alone in the forest.

* * *

Aang and I trudged up the path to the ruins. Sokka and Katara were fast asleep.

"I'm going to bed," Aang mumbled, handing the frozen wood frogs needed to cure the siblings' illness to me. He stumbled over to Appa's tail, collapsed into the soft fur, and cuddled his airbender staff against his body, falling asleep almost immediately. I walked over to Sokka and Katara, who stirred, and gave them the frogs to suck on.

"So, how was your trip?" Sokka said, his speech slurred with the frog in his mouth. "Did anything exciting happen?"

I crouched next to the dying kettle fire and hovered my hands over it to warm them up after holding the frozen frogs.

"Not really," I said, my back turned to them. "Rather uneventful, if you ask me."


	14. The Fortuneteller

"Are you all right, Sokka?" Katara said, glancing over her brother's shoulder as he pouted at the river we sat next to. "You're been staring at that se tu for a while."

"He's _totally_ taunting us," Sokka said. The green se tu leaped out of the water. "Look, it just smirked at me!" Sokka leaped to his feet. "That's it! I'm eating you for dinner tonight!"

Sokka ran over and grabbed the fishing pole he carved during our long flights. He reeled his arm back and thrust the pole to the water, but no line came out.

"Aang, where's the fishing line?" Sokka said.

"Oh... uh... I didn't think you would need it," Aang said as he sat next to the smoking campfire. He held out a necklace he woven himself. He climbed to his feet and turned to Katara. "I made this for you."

Katara smiled and took the necklace in her hands. "Thank you. It's beautiful," she said.

"Well, if the whole Avatar thing doesn't work out for you, at least you can always get a job in the jewelry-making business," Sokka said. The se tu leaped out of the water again. Sokka chucked the fishing pole like a spear, but he missed. With a growl, he pulled out his jaw blade and ran into the water.

"How do I look?" Katara said. Her mother's necklace was in one hand while she wore the woven necklace. Aang blushed deeply.

"Uh, well, if you're talking about _all_ of you, then you look great!" Aang said, rubbing the side of his head nervously.

"Aw, you're so cute, I just want to throw up," Sokka cried sarcastically as he wrestled with the se tu. It slipped out of his arms, slapping him in the face with its tail, and swam away.

"Stop teasing him, Sokka. Aang's a good friend. He's as sweet as Momo," Katara said, petting Aang's head and then Momo's head, who sat on Aang's shoulder.

I covered my mouth in my hand and chuckled. Aang did not look pleased to hear that. Sokka climbed out of the water, soaked and cranky. We perked up at the roar of an animal nearby. Aang jumped onto a tall rock to get a better vantage point.

"Someone's being attacked by a platypus bear!" Aang called. We followed his finger to a little ways down the river, where an elderly man stood in front of a platypus bear. The bear swung his paws and tail, but the man dodged its attacks with a casual smile.

"Hello, there. Beautiful day, isn't it?" the man called. He ducked as the bear swiped and laughed. "That was a close one!"

"Run!" we called frantically, but the man stayed still.

"No need to fret; it's going to be fine!" he said. He ducked again, this time sitting on the ground. The platypus bear swiped the tree behind him, taking a giant chunk out of the trunk. Aang leaped in front of the man and hit the bear with a gust of wind.

"Whoa, there!" Aang cried. The platypus bear roared, even angrier at Aang's presence. However, Appa stepped behind the bear and roared even louder. The bear, startled, laid an egg right there and scurried into the water.

Sokka picked up the egg with a smile. "Lunch!" he said, rubbing the egg against his cheek.

"It's a good thing we were here, or else that platypus bear would've gutted you," I said.

"Thank you, but it was not necessary." The man stood up. "Aunt Wu predicted that I would have a safe journey."

"Who?" Aang said.

"Not 'who', _Wu_. She is the fortuneteller from my village."

"So that's why you were so calm," Katara said.

"But the fortuneteller was wrong! You were attacked by a platypus bear; you almost got killed!" Sokka said.

"Ah, but I wasn't. I must be off. Before I go, Aunt Wu told me to give anyone I meet this." The man placed a thin package in Aang's hands. "Have a good day!"

The man turned and walked down the side of the river.

"Fortunes, huh? That sounds like fun. Maybe we should get our own," Katara said.

"Please! It just sounds like an old lady saying whatever she wants to people that'll get her more business," Sokka said.

"Neat. An umbrella!" Aang said after ripping the wrappings off the package. He opened the orange umbrella. "I wonder why he gave us this."

At the end of his sentence, a loud crack of thunder made me jump. I looked up as it started to spontaneously pour. Katara jumped underneath the umbrella. I raised my hand, creating a slab of ice to shield me from the rain.

"I guess Aunt Wu predicted it would rain," Katara said.

"No, she didn't! Anyone could have predicted that; the sky's been gray all day!" Sokka said, stepping underneath my slab of ice. "And besides, you can't _really_ tell the future."

"Just admit that you were wrong and we can get on with our day."

"I won't because I'm _not_ wrong! Just watch this: it's going to keep on drizzling."

As quick as the rains started, they stopped. The clouds separated, shining light on the area. I tossed the ice slab to the side, and Aang closed the umbrella.

"Not everyone has the gift," Aang said.

Sokka grumbled under his breath. He took a step, but he snagged his ankle on a protruding rock. He tripped and fell to the ground, faceplanting right into the giant platypus egg he had been carrying.

* * *

We arrived at a town built at the base of a volcano. As we entered, a pair of turkey ducks squawked at us when we passed by them. Sokka stuck his tongue out at them.

"Don't be such a child," I said.

"I'm not!" Sokka hissed in a whiny tone. He cleared his throat. "Don't tell me you're buying all this future nonsense."

I shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, I'm interested in getting a fortune, but I'm not going to obsess over it." Sokka rolled his eyes. "What if you got a fortune and it all came true?"

"Pure coincidence."

"Right, sure. Whatever."

We approached one of the larger buildings. A man dressed in black and white robes with white hair stood at the door.

"Aunt Wu has been expecting you." He gestured for us to enter.

"Really?" Katara said with a smile. We entered through the doors. Warm fall colors decorated the inside: oranges, browns, greens, and maroons.

A young girl with brown eyes and black hair tied up in pigtails that stuck straight to the sides entered the room. She wore a long, pink robe with purple trimming.

"Welcome to Aunt Wu's. My name is Meng, and I'm her assistant," the girl said. She stopped, her jaw dropping slightly, to stare at Aang. I glanced at the airbender, who glanced around the room in disinterest. Meng smiled, revealing a missing front tooth. "Please, take a seat. May I get you some tea or some of Aunt Wu's special bean curd puffs?"

We sat down on the pillows near the wall.

"I'd like some of-" Sokka said, but Meng raised a hand toward him to shush him.

Meng crouched down in front of Aang. "What's your name?"

"I'm Aang."

"It's very nice to meet you."

"Likewise."

Meng left the room, sneaking one more peek at Aang. Sokka sighed and stretched his bare feet out.

"Did we really have to come inside here? It's got 'coocoo' written all over it," Sokka said.

Meng returned with a plate of bean curd puffs. She approached us, her eyes fixated purely on Aang. She lost her footing and stumbled. Aang reached out and helped steady the tray, cupping Meng's hands in his. They looked up at each other, their faces less than a foot away. With a blush in her cheeks, Meng pulled her hands away.

"Enjoy your snack," she said, and hurried out of the room. Sokka took the tray and began stuffing his face with bean curd puffs.

"Welcome, travelers." An elderly woman, who I assumed to be Aunt Wu, entered the room. She wore yellow robes, purple eyeshadow, and dark red lipstick. "Now, who is next?"

Sokka and Aang avoided Aunt Wu's eyes.

"I'll go." Katara climbed to her feet. She and Aunt Wu disappeared into the back room.

Sokka shoved the bowl of bean curds into my face, offering some to me. I plucked one out of the bowl and nibbled on it.

"So... what do you think they're talking about?" Aang said, rubbing the back of his neck. He looked jittery.

"It's a fortune, Aang. It's all about your future: luck, success, wealth, love..." I said.

"Love? What do you mean?"

"You know, love, like who you're going to marry, how many kids you'll have when you get older. That kind of stuff."

"Yeah, that kind of _boring_ stuff," Sokka mumbled as he gulped down his tea.

I rolled my eyes. "Don't listen to him. He's just pouty because... well, you're like this all the time, actually," I said, turning to Sokka. Sokka mocked me, mouthing incoherently and making talking motions with his hand.

"No, no, he's right. I mean, love _is_ boring..." Aang said. He glanced nervously to the hallway. "I need to go find a bathroom."

Aang scurried to his feet and jogged out of the room. I reached for another bean curd puff, but Sokka slapped my hand away.

"No curds for the crazy," he said, stuffing the last of the puffs into his mouth. He choked on them and coughed, pounding his fist against his chest. I sighed. Aang entered the room with a spring in his step. "That must've been a great bathroom trip."

"Uh... yeah. You see, I-" Aang said.

Sokka shot his palm out to him. "I don't want to hear about it."

Katara and Aunt Wu returned. "Who's next?" Aunt Wu said.

"Fine, let's get this over with." Sokka stood up and stretched out his back.

Without missing a beat, Aunt Wu said, "Your future is full of struggle and anguish, most of it... self-inflicted."

"You didn't even read my palms!"

"I don't need to; it's written all over your face." Sokka pouted and flopped back onto the pillow. Aunt Wu looked at me. "How about you, dear?"

I perked up. "Okay..." I stood up and followed Aunt Wu to the back. A warm fire glowed in the center of the room, illuminating the area. A canopy covered the two orange pillows that lay next to the fire.

"Have a seat," Aunt Wu said, gesturing to one of the pillows. I obeyed. "Give me your hands."

I stretched my hands out, palms facing up. Aunt Wu took my hands in hers. She shivered intensely, her whole body trembling for a few seconds.

"Are you okay? Is there a draft?" I said.

"No! It is _you_ ," Aunt Wu said. I knit my eyebrows. "Your soul... it is so cold, so disconnected. I feel a wall of ice around your heart."

My shoulders slumped and I looked at Aunt Wu in annoyance. _Great. Ice. My favorite._

"You are haunted by the memories of your childhood. You had a family, those around you who loved you and cared for you... but they were taken away. The hardships of your past have caused you to drift into a void of emptiness, and none have been able to pull you out of it. Your heart drowns in such lonely emotions... These hands which I hold were blessed to change and create, but your heart has been clouded by fear and sadness, which has locked away your true power. Yes, yes... Hands of a waterbender, but a heart of a firebender."

I gulped. Maybe Sokka was wrong about her. Aunt Wu closed her eyes.

"I see three reunions in your future. The first two are bittersweet, each of them leaving you more heartbroken than the last. But... I see a large, roaring waterfall flowing through your veins, thawing the ice shielding your heart. Your power will grow stronger as your burdens disappear, your strife light as a feather." Aunt Wu smiled. "Ah, but the third reunion... Like a triumphant choir of trumpets welcoming a soldier home from war. I see spirits being lifted, hope renewed, and souls pieced back together again."

Aunt Wu opened her eyes. I blinked several times as I stared at her.

"Um..." I mumbled. "I don't really understand what you said. Could you perhaps simplify it for me?"

"Life is not as complex as people make it out to be. They wander through, pursuing paths they believe will lead them to where they want to be, but when they take their final steps and look back, they realize that life guided them exactly to where they needed to be. The chips will fall where they may, but you determine how the finished picture will look. Your destiny is in your hands; how will you shape it?"

I felt like these words would be much more relatable to Aang. Aunt Wu released my hands, and they fell into my lap.

"That is all," Aunt Wu said. We stood up. I bowed to Aunt Wu, and we walked side by side to the main room. Aunt Wu looked to Aang. "All right, young man. Your turn."

Aang jumped to his feet and followed Aunt Wu to the back. I took Aang seat between Katara and Sokka.

"How did your fortune go?" Katara said.

"It went... okay," I said, holding my arms. "She was pretty accurate about some things."

"Oh, don't tell me you believe her scam, too!" Sokka said. I avoided his eyes. Sokka groaned and threw his hands in the air exasperatedly, falling back and laying on the ground.

Once Aang had received his fortune, we left Aunt Wu's house.

"That woman is completely crazy," Sokka mumbled.

"You're just upset because your fortune wasn't as good as ours," Katara said, folding her arms and cracking a smirk.

"It was a scam, I tell you! Just watch, my life will be filled with happiness and joy and _good_ fortune!" Sokka kicked a rock laying on the ground. It ricocheted off a shop sign, coming right back and hitting Sokka in the head. "That doesn't prove _anything_!"

"Unlike you, my fortune was great. I can't _wait_ for it to come true."

"Me, too..." Aang said with a smile.

"What did Aunt Wu tell you?"

"Um... some stuff. It's really not important."

We entered the village square. All the people were gathered in front of the large, ornated gazebo in the center of the square, and everyone gazed up at the clouds.

"What's everyone looking at?" Katara said.

"We are waiting for Aunt Wu to come and read the clouds. They predict the fate of the village," a nearby man said.

"The cloud reading will tell us if Mt. Makapu will remain dormant for another year or if it will erupt," a woman said, pointing up at the large volcano that the village sat under.

"Long ago, the tradition used to be we would climb up the mountain and check the volcano ourselves, but since Aunt Wu moved here, our traditions have changed."

"You _really_ have all of your lives in the hands of a crazy, old lady?" Sokka said. Katara grabbed Sokka's shoulders and shushed him.

Aunt Wu, along with her black and white bodyguard, climbed up the stairs leading to the village square. The villagers cheered as she passed through and stepped up to the gazebo. She raised her hands and took a deep breath. Reaching inside her robe, she pulled out a small cloud reading book.

"According to the clouds... the harvest will be rich and plentiful... a good year for twins... but most importantly, the village will not be destroyed by the volcano this year!" Aunt Wu said.

The villagers erupted into cheers.

* * *

"You've got to be kidding me..." Sokka mumbled as he stomped a few paces ahead of me. He eyed the merry villagers as he passed by them. "Someone really needs to give these people a dose of reality. I can't believe they're eating up all this fortuneteller rubbish."

"I wouldn't say rubbish..." I said.

Sokka turned around, shoving a finger in my face. "You see?! They even got you brainwashed!"

I pushed Sokka's finger away and held my arms. "You don't understand, Sokka. The truths behind what Aunt Wu told me were frightening. She knew things I've never told anyone..."

Sokka calmed down. "You mean... something having to do with where you came from before we met you?" I perked up and looked at him. "I couldn't get what Jet said out of my head."

I nodded. "He was right. I did come from the Fire Nation." I turned my back to him. "Not everyone there was a horrible monster. My best friend was the nicest, bravest person I knew... but now..."

"What?"

My shoulders drooped. "Nevermind."

"Hey, guys!" Aang cried, hooking his arms around our shoulders. "Want to go on a field trip?"

"Uh... to where?" Sokka said. Aang pointed to Mt. Makapu. "Great..."

* * *

"Out of all the places where a stupid flower could grow, why does it have to be inside a volcano?" Sokka grunted as he hoisted himself onto a rock.

"It's not just any flower, it's a panda lily. I've seen them work some serious magic."

"You don't need to worry about flowers until you're married. Until then, aloofness is guaranteed to get you places."

"Aunt Wu told me if I trust my heart, I'll be with the one I love, and my heart is telling me to go get a panda lily."

"Great, _everyone_ is now a mindless Wu slave."

"Aunt Wu hasn't been wrong yet. Why should she be wrong about love?"

Aang beat us to the top of the volcano. I could see some panda lilies blooming from the side and swaying in the light breeze. Aang plucked a panda lily and smelled it. However, his dreamy state was followed by a gasp. Sokka and I caught up with him and we looked below. The volcano was filled with molten lava, churning ominously and ready to erupt at any minute. The heat hit my face, causing an instantaneous sweat.

"We can't let the villagers live in ignorance and get killed by this volcano. We need to warn them!" Sokka said.

"We have to hurry. Grab on!" Aang said, standing up and activating his glider. We clung to the glider and jumped off the side of the volcano, flying down to the village below. We hurried to Aunt Wu's house. Katara stood at the door. "Hey, Katara."

"Can you believe Aunt Wu? She won't let me in!" Katara huffed.

"How many times have you bothered her today?" I said.

"I didn't _bother_ her! I've been giving her plenty of business!"

"We have other things to worry about. Aunt Wu was wrong about the volcano," Sokka said.

Katara rolled her eyes. "You've done nothing but complain about Aunt Wu since we first heard about her. It's going to take a lot more to convince me-"

The ground rumbled, causing us to stumble. We looked up at saw a thick plume of smoke rising from Mt. Makapu.

"Oh, no..." Katara whispered.

We hurried to the village square. The villagers were still gathered together.

"Everyone, you have to get out of here! Aunt Wu was wrong about the volcano! It's going to blow any minute!" Sokka cried.

"Yeah, yeah, you and your complaints!" a villager cried. Sokka growled.

Aang hopped onto the roof of a nearby building. "Please, listen to us! You're all in danger! You can't rely on Aunt Wu's predictions; you have to take fate into your own hands!"

Mt. Makapu rumbled again.

"Can your fortunetelling explain that?!" Sokka cried, pointing at the smoking volcano.

The villagers ignored us and went their separate ways.

"How are we going to get them to listen to us?" I said.

Aang cupped his chin in his hands. "Maybe we're going about this wrong. There's no way they're going to listen to us, but they'll listen to Aunt Wu. She was able to predict the future by reading the clouds, right? Well, if we change the shape of the clouds to match what her cloud reading book says, then she'll tell everyone about the volcano and they'll leave."

"But what's the symbol for 'volcano will go boom'?" Sokka said.

"I'll sneak into Aunt Wu's place and get the cloud reading book so we can find out. Cover for me."

We nodded and hurried over to Aunt Wu's house. Sokka, Katara, and I stood in front of the doors, trying to look as casual as possible, while Aang snuck in through the top window of the building. After a few minutes, Aang scaled down the building and landed next to us.

"Now that we got the book, Katara and I will take Appa up into the sky and bend the clouds into the symbol for volcanic destruction," Aang said. "Sokka and Ursa, you go and get Aunt Wu so she'll see the clouds and warn the people."

We separated. When we saw Appa in the sky, Sokka and I knocked on Aunt Wu's door.

"What is it _this_ time-" Aunt Wu said. She stopped when she saw us. "Oh, it's just you. I thought you were the other Water Tribe girl. How may I help you?"

"Come quick, Aunt Wu. Something's happening with the clouds!" Sokka said. We took each of her arms and guided her back to the gazebo in the village square.

"What do you mean? The clouds never..." Aunt Wu cast her eyes up to the sky and gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. "Oh, my!"

The clouds, thanks to Katara and Aang, were shaped like a large skull.

* * *

Once Aang and Katara returned, Aunt Wu told the villagers about the volcano. Concerned murmurings broke out.

"Listen up, people!" Sokka called. "Lava is going to flow downhill to this spot. If we can dig a deep enough trench, we can redirect the lava away from the village and to the river. If there are any earthbenders here, go with Aang. Everyone else grab a shovel." The volcano rumbled again. "Hurry!"

As the night descended on the village, we worked tirelessly to dig the trench. Even with the few earthbenders, progress moved quickly and smoothly. Mt. Makapu rumbled again, spilling a thin steam of lava down the side.

"Everyone needs to evacuate! We'll come get you once it's safe!" Aang cried once the trench had been dug and connected to the river.

The villagers hurried down the mountainside. The four of us stood on the other side of the trench, our backs to the village, and watched the volcano. Lava began to spew unceasingly. Ash rained down from the sky. A stream of lava rushed toward us, leaving a large forest fire in its wake. All that it touched burst into flames and melted, becoming one with the lava. The lava flowed into the trench, but it quickly began to fill. The volcano burst again, launching lava into the air.

"Get back," Aang said. We glanced at him before running a small ways into the village.

More lava ran down and into the trench, creating a giant splash of lava that shot into the air. Aang took a running start towards the lava before leaping into the air, using wind currents to propel him higher. Gathering as much wind as he could, he landed back on his feet and swirled his arms, pushing back the lava that threatened to spill over the trench. Taking a deep breath, he unleashed a powerful wind current that hardened the lava, creating a dome-like wall.

"Wow. Aang's one powerful bender," Sokka said. Katara perked up and looked at Sokka in surprise before she glanced back at Aang.

"Yeah... he is," she said.

* * *

Morning came, and the villagers regrouped in the village square.

"Um... by the way, we kind of borrowed this," Aang said, holding out Aunt Wu's cloud reading book. She snatched it from him.

"So, you messed with the clouds, huh?" she said. She laughed. "Very clever. Because of you, our village is safe."

"I hope everyone has learned not to rely too much on fortunetelling," Sokka said.

"But Aunt Wu predicted that the village _wouldn't_ be destroyed, and it wasn't. She was right all along," a nearby villager said.

Sokka's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. I grabbed his arm and led him away from the villagers before he could attack them.


	15. Bato of the Water Tribe

"What's that?" Aang said, from the top of a small hill. He slid down the side and to the bottom, where a handle wedged out from the ground. Grabbing the handle with both hands, he yanked a foot-long whale tooth blade from the ground. "Neat."

"Let me see that!" Sokka slid down the hill and took it from Aang. He examined it with wide eyes. "This is a Water Tribe weapon."

I peered over Sokka's shoulder at the weapon. I noticed something sticking out underneath a pile of leaves. I crouched down, brushed the leaves aside, and picked up an arrow. The arrowhead was gray and crusty. I gently ran a hand over it and examined the soot on my finger.

"This arrow is burned." I stood and showed the others the arrow. "There must have been a fight here."

"No kidding," Aang said, pointing at a tree trunk with scratches and charred marks on it.

"It looks like there were Fire Nation soldiers passing through here, but Water Tribe warriors ambushed them," Sokka said, running his hand along the trunk. He followed the charred patches of grass leading down the slope. "There was a fight, but the Water Tribe managed to push the soldiers back."

Sokka ran down the hill, and we followed closely behind. Climbing over a mound of tall rocks, we landed on the sandy shores of a beach. Rocks and decaying pieces of wood jutted out of the sand.

"It looks like it ends here..." Sokka said.

"Look over there!" Katara said, pointing down the shore. We looked and saw a Water Tribe ship. My heart skipped a beat.

"That's from Hakoda's fleet!" I said. We sprinted over to the boat.

Sokka rested a hand on the smooth wood and smiled. "He was here."

* * *

We decided to camp here for the night. If there were still Water Tribe people hanging around the area, we would run into them if we stayed. As the night crawled along, Aang and Katara were fast asleep, curled up against Appa for warmth. Sokka stared at the fire he built and stoked it absentmindedly with a stick.

"What are you thinking about?" I said. Sokka perked up and blinked away his reverie. "There's something about fire that stirs memories."

"I was thinking about my dad, right before he and the other men left," Sokka said.

I nodded. "I miss him, too. Do you think he was on this ship?"

"A part of me kind of wishes he is."

I heard the quiet crunching of feet sinking into the sand. Sokka stood up and drew his jaw blade.

"Who's there?" he called into the darkness.

A silhouette emerged from the shadows, and the light from the fire allowed us to see his face. He had long, brown hair with some of it tied up in a ponytail. He wore Water Tribe clothing, but the left side of his torso and arm were wrapped up in bandages. My jaw dropped.

"Bato?!" I said, loud enough for Aang and Katara to stir.

"Well, I'll be. If it isn't Hakoda's kids," Bato said. Katara, Sokka, and I rushed to hug him. "You've all grown so much."

"I'm Aang," Aang called over the excitement. Bato acknowledged him with a nod.

"Is Dad here?" Katara said.

"No. His fleet should be somewhere in the eastern Earth Kingdom right now," Bato said, noticing the disappointment in our faces. A cold, harsh wind blew in from the sea, and we shivered in our shoes. "This isn't a good place to talk. Come with me."

We walked away from the shore and up a dirt path. Katara and Sokka walked on either side of Bato, each under one of his arms, while Aang and I walked closely behind.

"What happened here?" Katara said as we passed by another charred circle of grass.

"We had a tussle with some Fire Nation soldiers. We managed to drive them away," Bato said. Sokka beamed with pride from guessing right. We climbed up a cobblestone path and to an abbey. "I was badly wounded. Hakoda carried me all the way to this abbey, where these sisters cared for me."

We approached one of the eldest nuns while she chatted with two other sisters. They turned to us with smiled.

"Superior, these are Hakoda's children. I found them camping by my boat. They and they're friend are traveling with the Avatar," Bato said.

Bato's words struck a dissonant chord in my heart. _Friend_? Even if it wasn't biological, Hakoda saw me as one of his own children ever since we met. What's the deal?

"It is a great pleasure to have you here, Avatar," the Superior said, bowing to Aang. "You are welcome here anytime."

"Thank you," Aang said. "If there's anything I can do-"

"What smells so good, Bato?" Sokka rudely interrupted. He inhaled deeply through his nostrils.

Bato pointed to multiple large urns lining the abbey's walls. "The sisters here craft ointment and perfumes." He gestured for us to keep walking. "Let's get inside."

We followed Bato into a small tent. A fire lit the room, which displayed many different animal furs draped across the floor and walls.

"It looks just like home!" Katara gushed as she crouched down and ran her hand along a zebra seal pelt. Aang looked at her in slight disgust. Seeing all these dead animal skins made him uncomfortable.

"Dinner should be ready," Bato said. I opened the pot hanging above the fire. A thick, fragranced steam coated my face and filled my nostrils. I wrinkled my nose from the stench.

"Stewed sea prunes..." I said. Aang smelled it, too, and gagged silently.

Katara and Sokka eagerly scooped up ladles full of the soup and slurped them up. Aang set his bowl on the ground. Momo pulled a prune from the soup and popped it in his mouth. A moment later, he spat it out and hissed at the chewy remains.

"So, Bato, is it true you and Dad lassoed an artic hippo?" Katara said.

Bato chuckled from the memory. "That was all your father's idea. I ended up getting dragged into it. That hippo was _not_ happy."

"I love riding animals," Aang said. "One time, there was this giant eel-"

"Who was it that came up with the Great Blubber Fiasco?" Sokka said. Aang dropped his hands into his lap and scowled.

"You knew about that?" Bato said.

" _Everyone_ knew about it," Katara said.

"What's the Great Blubber Fiasco?" Aang whispered to me.

"When I was twelve, Hakoda went hunting and captured a bunch of tiger seals. He, Bato, and a few other men managed to drag the cages back to the village, but because of the wood scraping against the rough ice, it caused the cages to weaken," I said. I chuckled. "The cages got so worn, the seals broke out. No one got hurt, and we managed to corral the animals, but seeing all those big, fat seals flopping around did almost make me bust a gut."

Aang snickered. "I wish I was there to see that." Aang looked around the tent. "What's that?"

He climbed to his feet and grabbed a raccoon headpiece that hung on the wall.

"Neat, check this out!" Aang draped the headpiece over his head. He hunched over, tensing his fingers like claws.

"Um, Aang, maybe you shouldn't..." I said.

"Please put that down, Aang. It's very fragile and sacred," Bato said.

Aang place the headpiece back on the wall. "Sorry," he mumbled. He plopped back down beside me and held his legs against his chest.

* * *

~TPPOV~

Zuko and Iroh approached a wooden bar. The porchlights gave the entrance a sickly green color. Cheers and hollers leaked out the open windows. A man blasted through the wall and landed by the door, startling Zuko slightly. Nyla, a shirshu, lifted his head for a moment before falling back asleep, disinterested. Putting on a scowl, Zuko stomped into the bar, Iroh following close behind. He shoved past older, yet scrawnier men, who cheered for the two arm-wrestling in the center of the bar. He approached the bounty hunter, June, whose effortless strength made the macho martial arts fighter sweat bullets.

"I need to talk to you," Zuko said.

"Ah, it's you," June said. She slammed her opponent's arm into the table. The men watching from all around cheered. Copper pieces rain down around them, landing on the table in front of June. "What do you want?"

"Your beast trashed my ship. You have to pay me back."

"I'd _love_ to, but I'm strapped for cash." June scooped the copper pieces into her arms. She lifted her drink to her mouth.

Zuko reached out and snagged June's wrist, pulling her drink from her mouth. June looked up with a glare.

"I'm not talking about money," Zuko said.

June's expression calmed into a mixture of annoyance and interest. She set her drink down and stood up from the table. "All right, then. What exactly did you have in mind?"

"Perhaps it would be better if we stepped outside and discussed the matter," Iroh said, glancing around at the men watching them.

The three stepped out of the hot, stuffy bar. June walked over to Nyla and stroked his head.

"I need you to find someone," Zuko said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out Ashe's golden flame headpiece. Iroh's eyes widened. June examined the headpiece.

"I thought you misplaced that during our scuffle with the pirates," Iroh said.

"I didn't misplace it! That nasty Water Tribe girl stole it from me, but I took it back."

"When?"

"That's not important." Zuko looked to June. "Well?"

"You trying to find a lost love or something?" June said, leaning against Nyla's saddle with folded arms and an amused smile.

Zuko clenched his fist. "No. I'm after the bald monk she's traveling with. I have no interest in the filth. If you find them, then I'll forgive you for damaging my ship."

June rolled her eyes. "Forget it. I don't do things that don't come with monetary benefits." She started to climb onto Nyla's back.

"We'll also pay your weight in gold," Iroh chimed. June stopped. She hopped back onto the ground and approached the two.

"Make it _your_ weight, and we have a deal," June said.

Iroh laughed. "Of course."

June snatched the headpiece out of Zuko's hand and walked over to Nyla. She held the headpiece up to Nyla's nose. Nyla smelled in and lifted his head, inhaling the air for a matching scent. When he found it, he growled, slobber pouring out of his mouth.

"Get on," June said, climbing onto Nyla's back. Zuko and Iroh followed suit. June snapped the reins, and Nyla dashed forward and into the forest.

* * *

~ASHE~

"There's something I should tell you kids," Bato said. "I'm expecting a message from your father any day now. He said he'd send a map when he found a rendezvous point. If you wait here until the message arrives, you can come with me and see him again."

"Are you serious?!" Sokka said. "That would be _so_ great!"

"I do really miss him. It would be wonderful to see Dad," Katara said.

I felt Aang shift beside me. He stood up and walked out of the room. I sighed.

"...But we'd have to pass," Sokka said. I perked up and turned back to the others. "We have to take Aang to the North Pole first."

"Even if the message arrived tonight, who knows how far we'd have to travel? We just don't have the time," Katara said.

"I'm sure Hakoda would understand. In fact, he'd be proud of your decision to help the Avatar," Bato said.

My spirits lifted. _Of course my friends wouldn't abandon Aang!_ I glanced back at the door. _If only he had stayed a little longer to hear that._

* * *

The next morning, I walked with a few of the sisters and received a tour of the abbey. We passed by _several_ urns filled to the brim with ointments and perfumes of different scents. They mixed together in my nostrils, making me rather dizzy. I don't understand how these women could be used to such strong smells.

I stepped outside to get some fresh air and clear my head. I noticed Aang feeding Appa, using airbending to set a large pile of hay in front of his mouth. I headed over to him.

As Aang stood up, a wad of paper fell out of his robes and hit the ground. Knitting my eyebrows, I snatched it up.

"What's this?" I said.

Aang's face paled. "Oh, hey, Ursa. Lovely morning, isn't it?" He reached for the paper, but I pulled my hand away.

I unwrapped the balled-up paper, Aang's wince carving deeper into his face. I opened it all the way, my eyes widening as I studied it.

"Is this... a map?" I said. I stood up straight and faced Aang. "This is Hakoda's message! How long have you had this?"

Aang nervously pressed his index fingers together. "Since last night, when the messenger gave it to me."

"Aang!"

Aang held up his hands in defense. "What was I supposed to do, let Bato take Katara and Sokka away? We're supposed to go to the North Pole!"

"And that's exactly what we're going to do!" I said. "Right after you left, they turned down Bato's offer of going to see Hakoda because they knew traveling with you was more important."

Aang lowered his hands back to his sides. "Really?"

"Yes, really. You need to tell them about this." I handed the map back to Aang. He sighed and stuffed the map back into his robes.

* * *

The four of us and Bato headed back to the shores and to the Water Tribe ship. Bato patted the side of it.

"This ship and I share a lot of memories," Bato said. "It was built by my father, so it's all the more precious."

While Bato spoke, I noticed Aang see something in the sand that made him gasp. I saw ostrich horse footprints, probably from the messenger. He thrust his hands and stirred the sand, destroying the footprints. He turned back around, meeting my stare. He flashed an innocent smile.

"Is this the boat he took you ice dodging in?" Sokka said.

"Yup. Here's the scar that proves it." Bato ran his fingers along a jagged scratch in the wood. "How about you?"

"He's never been ice dodging. Dad left before he was old enough," Katara said. Sokka's shoulders slumped.

"What's ice dodging?" Aang said.

"It's a rite of passage for young Water Tribe members. When they turn fourteen years old..." Bato said. He rested a hand on Sokka's shoulder. "You know what? How about we just show you?"

We climbed onto the boat and pulled it off the shore. Adjusting the sails, we turned and cruised further into sea.

"Ice dodging is a test of wisdom, bravery, and trust. In our village, it was done by weaving the boat through a field of icebergs, but because there isn't any ice around here, we'll have to substitute." Bato pointed forward at a field of jagged rocks protruding through the surface of the water. I gulped. "Sokka, you steer the ship. You're the man of this ship. Katara, secure the main sail. The winds can be brutal. Aang, you control the jib. Each of your positions is important: Sokka is wisdom, Katara is bravery, and Aang is trust."

"Right... Trust," Aang mumbled quietly.

"Is there something for me?" I said.

"I'm afraid not. You may sit back and watch," Bato said. I knit my eyebrows. "I cannot help you through this. Whether you wish to pass or fail, you do it on your own. Good luck."

Bato sat at the front of the ship. I folded my arms and leaned over the side of the ship, looking out to the horizon. A splash of water hit the side of the ship, a light spray hitting my face. Sokka called out orders to Katara and Aang, who worked frantically to obey. In the end, the ice dodging was a success. My friends stood in a line. I stood behind Bato, my arms folded tightly, as he dipped his fingers into a black, inky substance.

"For Sokka, the mark of wisdom. It's the same mark your father received." Bato painted a downward curve with a dot underneath on his forehead. Next, he drew a crescent moon on Katara's forehead. "For Katara, a mark of the brave. Your courage inspires us." Finally, Bato stepped up to Aang and drew a curve on his forehead. "For Aang, the mark of the trusted. You are now an honorary member of the Water Tribe."

Anger flared inside my heart. I wasn't proud of it, but I also couldn't help it. I felt bad for Aang because he was getting left out of everything, but now I realized that _I've_ been excluded even more.

 _If anything,_ I'm _the one who should be marked._ I'm _actually Water Tribe._ I thought. My anger melted into sadness. _As if. I'm the_ least _Water Tribe out of the entire group._

"I... can't," Aang said. He reached up and wiped the black ink off his forehead. "I'm sorry."

"Aang, what's wrong?" Katara said.

With his head bowed, Aang reached into his robes and pulled out the crumpled-up map. "A messenger gave this to me. It's for Bato."

Katara took the map and opened it. Sokka peered over her shoulder, his eyes widening with rage.

"This is the map to our father! You've kept it this whole time?! How could you?!" Sokka cried.

"Wait, Sokka, you have to understand-" I said.

Sokka whirled around and shoved a finger into my face, the rest of them clutching the map. "You _knew_ about this and didn't tell us?!" I stepped back and wore my guilt on my face. Sokka turned back to Aang. "You can go to the North Pole by yourself. I'm going to find my dad!"

"Sokka, maybe you should take a deep breath and think about what you're saying..." Bato said as Sokka stormed past him.

Sokka stopped and turned back around. "Katara, are you coming?"

Katara stared at Aang, hurt radiating from her eyes. She closed them. "Yes."

The three Water Tribe members walked away from the shore, leaving Aang and I standing in the sand.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to drag you into this," Aang said.

"It's okay," I said, resting a hand on Aang's shoulder. "Let's give them some time to cool down. They'll feel better."

* * *

I felt like I told a big, fat lie. I watched in bewilderment as Sokka and Katara packed up their things, slung them onto their backs, and walked with Bato out of the abbey.

"T-They're not _really_ going to leave us," I said, their silhouettes disappearing down the path. "They'll be back soon."

"It's fine, Ursa," Aang said as he clutched Appa's reins. "They made their decision. Let's get going."

I glanced back down the path one more time. "No. I'll stay here and wait for them. They'll change their minds, I just know it. We'll meet up with you at the beach."

Aang sighed. "Okay."

He gently tugged on Appa's reins and guided the sky bison out of the abbey. I stood at the entrance and watched the large, white animal disappear into the trees. I held my arms.

 _They'll be back. They wouldn't abandon us._

Shrieks came from the other end of the abbey. I turned around as a giant shirshu scaled over the roof of the abbey and landed in front of me. I stumbled back as the shirshu crawled closer, growling menacingly. Slobber dripped from his mouth and landed in piles on the cobblestone.

"So, this is the 'nasty Water Tribe girl' you were talking about?" the shirshu's owner, a woman with long, pure black hair with some of it collected in a topknot held by a skull headband, said. "She's a little too pretty, in my opinion."

The scarred Fire Nation boy climbed off the shirshu and approached me. I met Iroh's gaze, apology in his eyes.

"Where is he?" the boy said.

"Gone," I said.

The boy loomed his face close to mine. "How stupid do you think I am? Where is he?!"

I scowled and remained silent.

"Fine, then. I see how it is." He reached into his pocket and hovered my golden headpiece in my face. "Then I guess you don't want this back."

My eyes widened as I felt my empty pocket. "How-?!"

"I took it back. It doesn't belong to you."

"Yes, it _does_!" I lunged for the headpiece, but the boy raised his arm up, placing the headpiece out of my reach.

"Tell me where the Avatar is, and I won't melt this into a puddle."

"No!" I pulled a thin stream of water out from my water skin. It formed into a golf ball-sized piece of ice and slammed into the boy's hand. He growled and clutched his hand. The headpiece spiraled in the air. I jumped up, caught it, and ran to the abbey entrance, clutching the headpiece to my chest.

I heard the sharp crack of a whip and the _whoosh_ of something flying towards me. I twisted my body to catch a peek, just in time to see the shirshu's tongue jab my chest. Pain stretched to every corner of my body within a second, and my muscles grew numb. My feet slipped out from under me, and I landed hard on my back. I banged my head against the cobblestone, and my vision grew blurry. I felt my headpiece tumble out of my hands and hit the ground with a tiny clang. The scarred boy entered my peripheral, his hazy silhouette standing over me.

I tried with all my might to grab my headpiece, but the poison of the shirshu's tongue blocked all receptors from my body. That is, all except my tear ducts. Water spilled from my eyes and dripped onto the cobblestone as the boy picked up my headpiece and walked away, not even paying me a glance.

Something orange flew above me. My eyes widened when I saw Aang fly in on his glider. Two pairs of hands grabbed my arms and dragged me over to the wall.

"You did come back," I said to Katara and Sokka.

"Of course. We couldn't bear the thought of leaving you," Katara said. I smiled for a moment before it faded and I looked to Aang. The scarred boy thrust his fist towards him, unleashing a fireball. Aang jumped out of the way and launched a wind current at the boy. The shirshu tried to attack, but Appa headbutted him and his owner into the wall. Fire and air mixed together. They met at point-blank range, creating a giant, fiery explosion that knocked both boys into rooves across from each other.

Something shimmery tumbled down the rooftop the Fire Nation boy landed on and fell to the ground.

"My headpiece," I mumbled. I still couldn't move my body, so I hoped my eyes would be a good enough direction giver. The Fire Nation boy didn't notice. Instead, he hurried over to the rooftop Aang was on.

Iroh stirred the bounty hunter. She leaped to her feet, woke up her shirshu, and chased after Aang. Appa used his tail to create a wind current to try and stop them, but it took out a chunk of the abbey. The bounty hunter cracked her whip, and the shirshu snapped its tongue against Appa's cheek. Appa roared and fought against the poison. The shirshu attacked Appa several times until Appa fell to the ground, completely paralyzed.

Aang dodged the scarred boy's multiple fire attacks. He leaped into a nearby well. The boy launched a fireball into the well, but a large geyser of water slammed into him, throwing him into the air. Aang jumped out as the water fell back down as a light rain. The boy fell back to the ground, soaking wet. As resilient as ever, he jumped back to his feet and continued attacking.

The Superior of the abbey hurried over and knelt to my level. "Here," she said, holding a small vial under my nose. I whiffed the fragrance. My body ignited into tingles as feeling rushed back into my muscles. I sat upright and rubbed the skin directly above my heart; I could already feel a bruise forming.

"What are we going to do about that shirshu?" Katara said.

"It doesn't have any eyes, so it sees things with its nose," Sokka said. He turned to the Superior. "We're going to need some of your perfumes."

"You go and help Aang," I said, climbing to my feet. "I'm getting my headpiece."

The nuns pushed the heavy urns into the courtyard and spilled the perfumes onto the cobblestone. Katara raised her arms, collected the perfumes, and mixed them into one large wave. I pushed off the wall and sprinted to where my headpiece lay.

"Hey!" a voice boomed. I turned as the scarred boy reeled back a fist, ready to throw fire at me. The wave of perfumes crashed on him, the bounty hunter, and her shirshu.

The shirshu started smelled the ground, trying to find Aang's scent, but the perfumes clouded its senses. It opened its mouth and snapped its tongue, hitting the Fire Nation boy. He crumbled to the ground. The bounty hunter climbed down and tried to focus her shirshu, but also ended up getting paralyzed. Iroh caught her, and they both fell to the ground. With a confused whimper, the shirshu ran around in circles, climbed over the abbey, and ran off into the forest.

This was my chance. I jogged over to my headpiece, crouched down, and picked it up. I stood up straight, cupped the golden flame in my hands, and held them to my heart. I lifted my eyes and met them with the Fire Nation boy's. My face fell.

He had such... deep pain in his eyes.

"Ursa, let's go!" Katara called. I craned my head to my friends as they climbed onto Appa who, thanks to some fragrance, stood back on his feet. I nodded, shifting my headpiece into one hand and keeping it close to my heart as I hurried over and climbed into the saddle. Aang snapped the reins, and Appa pounded his tail against the ground and took off.

I looked down at the tattered, perfume-drenched abbey. Iroh and the boy lay in a pool of perfume. Because the boy was facing the other way, Iroh lifted a hand and gave me a small wave. I smiled sadly as they disappeared.

"So... Where to?" Aang called over his shoulder.

"The North Pole, of course," Katara said. Aang perked up and turned around.

"What about your father? Don't you want to see him?"

"Well, we do, but helping you is more important. You're our family, too."

Aang smiled. "Thank you."


	16. The Deserter

Katara and I examined the bulletin board at a crossroads, each side displaying a different ad.

"Any chance there's a menu or an ad for a restaurant? We're out of food... again," Sokka said, clutching our empty food bag.

"This looks interesting," Katara said. "There's a poster about a "Fire Days Festival" taking place in the nearby village."

My eyes widened, something my friends couldn't see from here. "Really? What's it about?" I said as casually as I could.

"I don't know, but it says there's Fire Nation cultural exhibits, jugglers, benders, and magicians."

"Benders?" Aang said, hurrying over to look at the poster. "This sounds like a great place to study some firebenders!"

I circled to the opposite side of the board and froze. "Um... I don't think that's a good idea."

I reached up and ripped a wanted poster with a drawing of Aang off the board and showed it to the others.

"Maybe we should pass on the festival," I said. I looked at the other wanted posters. One of them was the Blue Spirit, which Aang and I knew was the Fire Nation boy. The other two posters, however, were of normal men. I squinted my eyes and leaned closer to get a better look at one of them.

 _I_ know _him..._

"How else am I going to learn firebending? This could be my only chance," Aang said, pulling the poster out of my hands. I blinked and faced my friends.

"Okay... I guess we can check it out. But only for a little while," Katara said in defeat. Aang smiled. "We'll need to get some disguises."

The realization of my friends' words hit me. "Wait, _what_? You can't be serious. You really want to go to this Fire Nation festival? What if they figure out who we are?"

"Then we'll just leave. If we're careful, we shouldn't get into _too_ much trouble," Aang said.

"Yeah, because trouble never finds us," Sokka mumbled.

* * *

My heart tripled its beat as we stepped into the Fire Nation town. Pulling the hood of my black cloak further over my head, I reached into my pocket and touched my headpiece. I've already lost it twice now- there's no way I would lose it again. Fireworks exploded in the sky, making my skin crawl. I looked up at the crackling colors as they danced in the sky. As I continued to watch, my fears melted away. A boy ran by, giggling and holding a sparkler in his hand. That same childlike wonder began to fill my heart.

* * *

 _"Wow..." I whispered breathlessly as I watched the explosions in the sky. "What are those?"_

 _"They're called fireworks," Ursa said, gripping my hand._

 _"Who's firebending them?"_

 _Azula scoffed. "No one's firebending them,_ dummy _. It's made from gunpowder."_

 _"Oh..."_

 _"Don't listen to her." Zuko rolled his eyes. He gripped my shoulder and pointed to a man wearing all sorts of bright colors that made my eyes hurt. He handed a small stick with a ball of bright yellow sparks spewing out the top. "We can get some sparklers over there."_

 _I grinned and nodded. I pulled away from Ursa, and we ran over to the stall._

 _"Don't wander off too far," Ursa called._

 _We shuffled over to the man. He saw us and smiled._

 _"Hey, there, kids!" he said. "Are you interested in your very own sparklers?"_

 _"Yeah!" I blurted. The man chuckled and plucked a stick from a large jar. He snapped his fingers and created a flame at the top of his thumb. He hovered the flame at the top of the stick and ignited it, creating a fountain of sparks. He handed the sparkler to me. I gazed at the flying pieces of yellow fire. The man handed a sparkler to Zuko._

 _"Check this out." Zuko quickly swiped the sparkler, leaving a trail of light. I mimicked him, spelling my name with the stream of light._

 _"Look, Ursa!" I said, twirling around with the sparkler extended. The trail of light swirled around me. Zuko jumped behind me. We spun around, back-to-back, and watched the light trails ignite around us in a flurry of giggles._

* * *

A wide grin spread across my lips. I spotted the sparkler stand and took a step towards it.

Katara grabbed my shoulder. "Where are you going?"

I turned back to my friends. "Oh, I was just..." My face fell. "Never mind." I looked around at the hordes of people, each wearing masks. "These aren't good disguises if we're wanting to blend in. We'll need some masks."

"And where are we going to get them?" Sokka said.

I pointed over his shoulder. My friends turned and looked over at the stall covered head to toe with different types of masks. I picked up a red, smiling mask.

"Hey, that looks like the mask of the Blue Spirit," Aang said, looking at the mask over my shoulder.

"It's from the same play. The masks were worn by the main love interests."

"It's kind of creepy..." Katara said, placing a mask of a woman over her face.

"You haven't seen the play, then." I chuckled and flashed a grateful smile to the mask vendor. I placed the red, smiling mask over my face. I gasped loudly.

"What?! What's wrong?!" Aang said.

"They're handing out flaming fire flakes over there! Come on!"

I ran ahead and over to the stall. The old vendor handed me a small pouch of the steaming snack. I scooped out a tiny handful, lifted my mask to expose the lower half of my face, and popped the fire flakes into my mouth. Sokka grabbed a bag of his own and scarfed it down. The next moment, he was screaming and spitting them out onto the floor.

"Careful... they're a little hot," I said, munching on some more.

"You're not effected by them at all," Katara said.

"They're my favorite snack from when I was younger. In fact, I've been to a few festivals before-" I stopped and shoved a large pile of fire flakes into my mouth. Tears filled my eyes from the intense heat.

"Look! There's a puppet show over there!" Aang said, diverting our attention. We stood in the back.

"Fear not, loyal citizens!" a puppet of the Fire Lord said. "No one can surprise the Fire Lord!"

A puppet of an Earth Kingdom warrior stepped into the scene, holding a boulder. The children screamed warnings to the puppet Fire Lord. Before the soldier could attack, the puppet Fire Lord turned around and breathed fire, consuming and burning the soldier. The children cheered.

"Let's go check out something else..." Aang mumbled. We turned around and walked away. We migrated over to a large crowd of people standing before a stage. On the stage, a firebender dressed in reds and whites pulled fire from the four torches blazing above him. They swirled around him until they came together above him. The fire transformed into a small flock of doves. Aang lifted his mask up and grinned. "I _gotta_ learn that trick!"

"Thank you, thank you!" The fire magician bowed to the cheering audience. "For my next trick, I'll need a volunteer." He scanned the audience, his eyes falling on Katara. "How about you, young lady?"

"W-What? No, thanks," Katara said.

"Aw, she's shy! How about we give her a boost of confidence with a round of applause?"

A young boy pushed Katara to the stage, and the fire magician took her hand and pulled her up while the audience cheered.

"Darn it..." Aang pouted under his mask and folded his arms.

"This next trick is called 'Taming the Dragon'!" the fire magician called. He took a long, red piece of fabric and tied Katara to a chair. "You will be my captured princess."

The fire magician raised his arms and pulled all the fire out from the torches. They merged together, turning into a fire dragon. It soared through the air, sweeping dangerously close to Katara.

"Don't worry, fair maiden! I shall tame this foul beast!" the fire magician created a fire lasso with one hand, controlling the dragon with the other. The lasso wrapped around the dragon as it flew. "Oh, no, it's too strong! The rope is breaking!"

Aang, taking things too seriously, stepped towards the stage. "We have to help her!" he said.

Sokka grabbed Aang. "We don't want to attract attention to ourselves!"

The fire dragon turned around and flew towards Katara. She whimpered and squeezed her eyes shut. Aang leaped onto the stage and brought his hands together, creating a tornado of wind. It sucked up the fire, scattering sparks and ripping confetti off the streamers and creating a color rain. The wind knocked Aang's mask off.

I gasped as the audience booed. Aang, plastering on a grin, began to dance to try and cheer the audience up. Sokka jumped onstage and untied Katara.

"Hey," a voice called from the audience, "that kid's the Avatar!"

Aang froze in his dance. The crowd separated as three Fire Nation soldiers ran towards the stage. I shift my cloak and pulled water out from my water skin. I tossed it to the floor, creating a thin strip of ice. The guards slipped on the ice and fell into a pile.

"We must get you out of here," a voice next to me said, startling me. I turned and met eyes with an older man. He, too, wore a black cloak, and a piece of black fabric covered almost all his face, save his gray eyes. "Come with me."

His voice sounded familiar.

"Don't let them get away!" The guards were climbing to their feet.

"Quickly!" The man hopped onto the stage and ran through the gaping hole in the wall caused by Aang's tornado.

"Guys, this way!" I called as I ran past them. They didn't hesitate to follow me. There was an explosion behind me, and I glanced back and saw the cloaked man emerging from a thick cloud of smoke.

We sprinted through the markets. Festival attenders eyed us curiously as we passed them by.

"Over there!" Two groups of soldiers merged into one and chased after us. Aang reached into his robes, pulled out his bison whistle, and blew into it.

"I hope Appa can hear us from here!" Sokka cried.

"This way!" the man said, and we turned the corner into an alleyway. We skidded to a halt as the other end was blocked off by soldiers. "Okay, not this way..."

The man reached into his cloak and pulled out an explosive. As we ran the other way, he threw the explosive at the soldiers, creating another cloud of smoke. We entered another alleyway, but it came to a dead end. The soldiers crept towards us, their spears pointed at our chests.

A familiar roar filled the air. We looked up and saw Appa fly down. The guards cried out and sprinted away to avoid getting crushed by Appa. He slammed his tail against the ground, launching the Fire Nation soldiers into a stall all the way on the other side of the alley. We climbed onto Appa and took off. The man threw another explosive into a pile of fireworks. They exploded, lighting the sky with a huge array of colors. A string of lanterns got stuck on Appa's paw. He shook it off, and the lanterns landed in a large, wooden torch, igniting it. The people below cheered at the display.

"Thanks for your help. You seem to know a lot about explosives," Aang said.

The man reached up and lifted the hood of his cloak off his head. He had dark brown hair.

"I've had some experience with it." The man turned to us.

My eyes widened. "Chey?" I blurted out.

"You know him? He's a Fire Nation soldier!" Sokka said. I shut my mouth tight.

"I _was_ a soldier," Chey said.

After a few minutes of flying, we landed in a nearby forest. Chey built a fire, and we sat around it.

"Why did you help us back there?" Katara said.

"I serve a man- actually, he's more like a myth- but he's real. A living legend: Jeong Jeong the Deserter. He was one of the greatest generals in the Fire Nation's army... er, or was he an admiral?" Chey said, followed by a series of mumbles under his breath.

" _Anyways_..." Sokka cleared his throat.

"Right. So, he couldn't take the madness anymore. He's the first person to ever leave the army and survive. I'm the second. Jeong Jeong's a firebending _genius_ \- the best I've ever seen!"

"A firebender that's not serving the Fire Lord? Really?!" Aang said with a big smile. He stood up. "We've got to go see him! He can train me!"

"Yes!" Chey jumped to his feet. "He's perfect for training the Avatar. That's why I followed you into the festival."

Sokka rolled his eyes. "Listen, we appreciate the help, but we have to go to the North Pole."

"But, Sokka, this could be my one and only chance to meet a firebending master. I can't pass this up," Aang said.

"Maybe it's not as bad as you think," Katara said.

"You said the same thing about the festival, and look what happened! We're not going, and that's final!" Sokka said.

Shadows leaped from the trees. Men dressed in straw and leather armor held us at spear-point. We raised our hands in surrender.

"Come with us, and we won't hurt you," one man said.

"Lin Yee! It's me, Chey!" Chey said with a smile.

Lin Yee's scowl deepened. "What are you doing? Jeong Jeong told you not to look for the Avatar."

"You _know_ these people?" Sokka said.

"Yeah! Lin Yee's an old buddy of mine!" Chey said. Lin Yee's men shoved us forward, and we followed them through the dark forest.

"Shut up. Get moving," Lin Yee growled.

Lin Yee and his followers led us to the side of a river. A small hut sat on a dock overlooking it.

"Jeong Jeong wants to talk to you." Lin Yee shoved Chey forward.

"Uh... You know, it's pretty late. Maybe he's asleep..." Chey said.

"Hey, can _I_ talk to him?" Aang said, taking a step forward. Lin Yee held out his spear.

"No. Chey only," Lin Yee said.

"I-It's okay. Jeong Jeong's a great man," Chey said. He climbed down the side of the hill and slipped into Jeong Jeong's hut.

"You stay here." Lin Yee pointed his spear to a smaller hut. We obeyed and climbed inside.

"So..." Sokka said. "Care to explain why you know an ex-Fire Nation soldier?"

I hugged my knees to my chest. "I'd rather not talk about it."

* * *

 _"Shh!" Zuko hissed, pressed a finger to his lips. "Remember, we're not supposed to be here, so we need to be quiet."_

 _"_ I'm _being quiet. You keep talking," I said._

 _"Am not! Come on!"_

 _We crept through the palace and over to the courtyards. At the very end of the courtyard rested a training area. We slipped through the entrance and up the stairs to a balcony. The echoing sounds of marching and fighting grunts grew louder. Placing my hands on the balcony, I stood on the tips of my toes. Rows of soldiers marched to and fro. On the sidelines, some sparred with one another, fire spewing into the air._

 _"The Fire Nation has the best army in the entire world," Zuko said. "No other nation can outmatch ours."_

 _"No kidding," I said. The marching pounded in tune with my beating heart._

 _"What are you doing here?" a voice said. Zuko and I froze. We glanced at each other before turning around. As we looked up at the person's face, we relaxed immediately._

 _"Chey, you scared us!" I said. Chey smiled and knelt to our level._

 _"You know you're not supposed to be here. It's too dangerous for you kids," Chey said. He smiled and winked. "Don't worry, this will be our little secret."_

 _"Thanks, Chey." We bowed to the man, hurried down the stairs, and out of the training area._

* * *

The doors opened, and Chey entered our hut and sat down.

"What did he say?" Aang said, sitting up. "Can I go see him?"

"No," Chey said. "Jeong Jeong's furious with me for bringing you here. He wants you to leave."

"Great! Let's hit the road tomorrow morning," Sokka said, turning onto his side.

"Why not?" Aang said.

"He says you're not ready, and you won't be until you've mastered waterbending and earthbending," Chey said.

"How could he know _that_?"

"He saw the way you walked into camp. I told you, he's a genius."

Aang scowled and stood up. "I'm going to go see him." Aang exited the hut.

Chey looked to me and smiled. "You've grown up since I last saw you, A-"

I cleared my throat loudly. I glanced at Katara and Sokka, who were fast asleep. I lowered my voice.

"Please, call me Ursa," I said. Chey raised an eyebrow. I leaned back and held my arms. "I don't want to hear that name ever again."

* * *

Jeong Jeong agreed to teach Aang to firebend, much to his dismay. The sun gave the forest a murky yellow tint. Sokka sat on a rock nearby, his fishing pole cast, and Katara practiced her waterbending. Meanwhile, Aang was busy getting scolded by Jeong Jeong.

"Widen your stance! Bend your knees more! _Concentrate_!"

As the day grew on, Aang's training consisted of breathing and concentrating. Aang marched into Jeong Jeong's tent.

"How long before Jeong Jeong finally teaches Aang firebending?" Sokka said, a pile of fish sitting in a basket next to him. "Even _I'm_ getting bored."

"Jeong Jeong has good intentions," I said. "Fire can be a dangerous thing. If you can't control it, then it'll consume you and hurt others."

Sokka collected his fish. "Yeah, I've seen the Fire Nation at work. If you need me, I'll be packing these up for our trip."

"Want to practice with me?" Katara said.

"Unless you want to have a snowball fight, I wouldn't recommend it," I said.

"Well, _I_ would like to learn how to icebend. What better way to learn than from someone who's perfected it."

"Are you trying to compliment me or insult me?"

Jeong Jeong finally decided to teach Aang the firebending part of his training. He handed him a burning leaf.

"Try and keep the flame from reaching the corners of the leaf for as long as possible," Jeong Jeong said. Aang groaned and got into his firebending stance.

"Master!" Lin Yee jogged down the hill. "There is trouble!"

"What's going on?" Aang said.

"Concentrate on the fire!" Jeong Jeong said as he and Lin Yee ran up the hill and disappeared into the forest.

"This is the worst. All he tells me to do is concentrate and breathe. I could be firebending by now!" Aang said.

"There's a good reason behind it, Aang. You just don't see it," I said.

"But I'm ready to do so much more." Aang glanced at the burning leaf. He widened his stance and took deep breaths. The leaf shriveled up as a fire burst from it and into Aang's hands. He grinned. "I did it! I made fire!"

"Good job, Aang!" Katara said. The flame suddenly grew larger as Aang lost his balance. "Be careful! Maybe you show take things slow..."

"I'm fine, see?" Aang thrust his hand out, sending a column of fire into the air.

"Aang, be careful," I said warily, climbing to my feet.

"Check this out!"

Aang twirled in the air and thrust out his arms. The ball of fire exploded, flying in different directions- one of them towards Katara. Katara screamed and shot out her hands to try and shield herself from the fire, but the flames hit her hands.

"Katara!" I cried, sprinting over to her as she fell to her knees and wept. Aang's face contorted into horror.

Sokka burst through the trees. "What happened?! What's wrong?!" he cried. He ran over and knelt next to Katara. He glared up at Aang as he jumped over to us. "What did you do?!"

"I-It was an accident! I didn't mean to! Katara, I'm _so_ sorry-!" Aang reached out to Katara, but Sokka lunged and tackled him to the ground.

"We _told_ you not to mess around with fire! Now, look what you did- you _burned_ my sister!"

Katara climbed to her feet and ran off into the trees.

"Katara!" I called as she disappeared. "I'll go after her."

I chased after Katara, weaving through the trees and shoving past bushes. I found Katara crouched by the river, doubled over and whimpering as she held her hands close to her body. I knelt next to her.

"Let me see them," I said softly.

Sniffling quietly, her face stained with tears, Katara peeled her hands from her body and held them out. The burns curved across her hands, starting from the end of her hand and curling up and over her fingers. Fresh tears pooled in her eyes.

"It's okay," I said. "Here, let's cool them off."

I guided Katara's hands into the water. She winced from the initial pain, but relaxed as it passed.

"I know how that feels," I said. I lifted my right arm. I pulled off the leather tied around it and unwrapped the sarashi until the middle of my forearm was exposed. Katara's eyes widened as she stared at the scar that wrapped around my arm. "I was also burned by someone I love."

"Ursa... I'm sorry."

I smiled weakly. I ran my cold fingers over the rough skin. "It's okay. I never thought of it as a bad thing. It's a part of me."

Katara gasped as she looked back at her hands, which were glowing. Katara pulled her hands out of the water. When the glowing faded, the burns were gone.

"You have healing abilities." We turned as Jeong Jeong approached us, crouching on the other side of Katara. "It is an ability that waterbenders from the Northern and Southern Tribes sometimes possess... I always wished I were blessed like you, instead of this burden of a curse."

"But you're a great master. You have powers I'll never know."

"Water brings healing and life. It can shape, create, and change... but fire brings destruction, pain, and death. It forces those who carry this burden to walk along a razor's edge between humanity and savagery. Eventually, we are torn apart."

I shook my head. "No... Fire isn't destruction. It is power."

A swarm of fireballs hit the river in front of us; I fell back on my butt. Jeong Jeong jumped to hit feet and deflected a fireball aimed directly at us. Katara helped me to my feet. I stared at the fleet of Fire Navy ships sailing down the river. At the helm of the center boat, I saw Zhao. My eyes widened.

"Go to your friends and flee!" Jeong Jeong said. We sprinted into the forest. "Do not come back, or you will be destroyed!"

We ran down the path and found Sokka packing our things into Appa's saddle.

"Katara!" Sokka turned around. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. We need to get out of here. The Fire Nation is here!" Katara said. "Where's Aang?"

Sokka pointed at Jeong Jeong's hut. Katara jogged down the hill and went inside.

"How bad were they?" Sokka said.

"Actually... she's all better," I said. Sokka squinted. "Katara has healing abilities. She healed her burns."

"That's great."

I glanced back down the forest path, and I thought of Jeong Jeong. More importantly, I thought of Zhao. I clenched my fists.

"We have to go back and help Jeong Jeong," I said.

"But he said-" Sokka said.

"I don't care. I'm going back." Katara ran up the hill to greet us. "Did you talk to Aang?"

"Yes, but he went to go face Zhao," Katara said.

"Good. I won't be alone." I turned on my heel and sprinted down the path.

"Ursa!"

As I ran, my face started to heat up. I skidded to a stop when I saw fire quickly traveling from tree to tree. Burying my nose into my arm, I continued running. A fallen, burning branch landed a few feet in front of me; I leaped over it. I came to the end of the path. Zhao had his back to me, distracted with fighting Aang. I eyed the Fire Navy ships. I raised my arms, pulling a large stream of water from the river. As it froze into ice, I thrust my arms diagonally. The ice sharpened into a spike and stabbed through one of the ship.

Fire rushed towards me. I ducked as a fireball flew over my head and hit the ground behind me. I turned and faced Zhao, who finally noticed me. He smirked.

"Hello, Ashe." Hearing that name left a bitter taste in my mouth and sent crawling chills down my spine. "You learned some new tricks while you were gone."

"My name is Ursa!" I swung my arms from left to right. A column of ice burst from the water. Zhao jumped back as the ice hit a nearby tree that was on fire, creating a thick cloud of steam.

"Geez, Zhao, who knew you'd get your ship busted by a _girl_?" Aang said. I looked past Zhao and glared at Aang, but then I saw the scheming expression on his face. Zhao whirled around and launched a fireball. Aang leaped out of the way and landed on the second ship. "Sloppy technique, Admiral, _very_ sloppy."

Zhao growled and jumped onto the ship. He threw a fireball. Aang jumped out of the way, and the fireball consumed the ship. I covered my mouth and snickered as I watched Zhao destroy his own ships. The ground rumbled, and I looked over at Appa and petted his leg. Aang leaped into the water as the last of Zhao's ships burst into flames. He swam to shore, and we climbed into the saddle and took off.

"Where did Jeong Jeong go?" I said.

"He disappeared," Sokka said. We looked below at the now abandoned camp. "They _all_ did."

"Aang, you're burned," Katara said, referring to the light burn on his arm. She pulled water from her water skin. "Let me help."

The water consumed her hand, and she rested it on Aang's arm. Taking a deep breath, the water glowed. When she pulled away and the water dripped off, the burn was completely healed.

"How long have you been able to do that?" Sokka said.

Katara shrugged. "I don't know. I guess, deep inside, I've always known."

"Oh, okay. Thanks _so_ much for all the first aid over the years when that would've been really helpful!"

"To be fair, Sokka, you kind of deserved some of those injuries," I said. "Like when you got two fish hooks stuck in your thumb."

Aang snickered. "Two?"

"He tried to get the first fish hook out with _another_ fish hook." The memory made me laugh.

"It's not funny! I could've died!" Sokka cried.

"I know I almost did... of laughter," Katara giggled. Sokka pouted and folded his arms.


	17. The Siege of the North, Part 1

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

 **I decided to skip "The Northern Air Temple" and most of "The Waterbending Master".**

 **Happy reading!**

* * *

A startled koala otter burrowed into the water as Appa glided past. Sokka leaned his head against the saddle and groaned.

"Can't we make this bison fly any higher?" Sokka said.

"How would _you_ like it if you had to carry hundreds of pounds of people and supplies on your back?!" Aang snapped.

"Whoa, calm down, guys," Katara said. "We're all tired and cranky from flying for two days straight."

"We haven't seen any signs of the Northern Water Tribe. How do we know we're even going the right way?" Sokka said.

On cue, we heard crackling quickly traveling toward us. I perked up- it was the sound of hardening ice. We looked ahead and saw a trail of thick ice racing towards us. Aang yelped and yanked Appa's reins. Appa swerved out of the way. Another iceberg of ice sprung up in our path. I leaped to my feet and thrust my arms to my side. The ice split in different directions, allowing us to fly through. For a moment, the commotion had ceased.

A column of ice burst from beneath us and smashed into Appa's stomach. I fell on my butt and clung to the side of the saddle as we spiraled into the water. Ice covered Appa's legs, preventing him from moving.

Boats emerged from the spiky icebergs. Katara's eyes widened.

"Those are waterbenders!" she cried with a smile. "It's the Water Tribe!"

* * *

The boats guided us to the Northern Water Tribe walls. Waterbenders standing on the walls and those on the boats opened the doors, and we entered inside.

"There are so many waterbenders here," Katara gasped.

"Finding a master will be a breeze," Aang said, his fingers tightly gripping Appa's reins to hide his excited trembles.

All the boats except one broke off and returned to their homes. The one in front led us through the canals. I pulled my glove off and dipped my fingers into the water. I shuddered from the intense cold. We looked up at the multitudes of people gathered above who watched us. Aang smiled and waved.

We stopped in front of the Water Tribe Palace. A man stood at the base of the steps.

"Avatar! It is my greatest pleasure to welcome you to the Northern Water Tribe!" he said, opening his arms. "I am Chief Arnook."

"It's nice to meet you," Aang said with a bow. "These are my friends, Katara, Sokka, and Ursa. They're from the Southern Water Tribe."

"It is wonderful to meet kin from our sister tribe. Please, come inside. We have already prepared for tonight's feast."

"Feast?!" Sokka chimed in. "I love it here already."

* * *

The smell of food filled my nostrils. Four people carried the large hunk of meat to a hot spring to let it cook. Chief Arnook stood, and everyone hushed.

"Friends, family, we celebrate the arrival of our brother and sisters from the Southern Tribe, as well as their special guest- the Avatar!" Arnook said.

Aang smiled nervously and waved while the villagers cheered.

"We also celebrate my daughter, Princess Yue's, sixteenth birthday. She is now of marrying age!"

The water in my throat from the cup in my hands stopped traveling, and I choked. Katara patted my back while I coughed. Some Water Tribe members glanced our way.

" _Marrying_ age?" I rasped.

"Better start looking for that special someone," Sokka said, elbowing my arm with a snicker. I glared and clenched my fist, freezing the water in his cup as he lifted it to his lips. He winced and tried to pull his tongue away from the water, but it was stuck.

"Thank you, Father," Yue said, a girl with white hair and light blue eyes. "May the Ocean and Moon Spirits watch over and bless us."

"Now, we will enjoy a performance by Master Pakku and his students!" Arnook said.

Aang perked up. "Master?"

An elderly man with long, white hair stood with two young men. Three large urns of water stood below them. Pakku and his students moved in perfect synchronicity. The water rose from the urns and danced above them. Aang tugged on mine and Katara's sleeves and pointed excitedly at the water.

Once the performance was finished, the tribe erupted in applause. Aang leaped to his feet and hurried over to Master Pakku.

"That was some great waterbending," Katara said. "Maybe Master Pakku is the one we've been looking for. He's the perfect person to teach Aang waterbending!"

"Don't forget you," I said. Katara nodded.

"Don't forget you, too, Ursa," Aang said as he returned and crouched between me and Katara.

"Huh?"

"I spoke with Master Pakku, and he's willing to train all three of us!" Aang said. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, me and Katara especially, but maybe he can help you figure out your icebending problem."

"You really didn't have to. Gran-Gran told me that my icebending may be an internal issue." My shoulders slumped. "I'm not sure anyone can help me with my problem."

Katara rested a hand on my shoulder. "You have to at least try."

I sighed. "All right."

Aang grinned. "Great! Master Pakku wants us all ready at sunrise."

* * *

"I'm so excited! I can't believe I'm finally going to train under a real waterbending master!" Katara said as we headed towards the Water Tribe Palace.

We climbed the steps and saw Pakku bending an orb of water into multiple shapes.

"Good morning, Master Pakku!" Aang called as we approached him. The water Pakku bent distorted violently and splashed to the ground.

"Yes... hello, Aang," Pakku mumbled.

"These are my friends, Katara and Ursa," Aang said. "I told them how you could also help them with waterbending."

Pakku turned, his face contorting into a grimace. "I believe there has been a mistake. You forgot to mention the fact your friends were girls."

"Is... that a problem?" Katara said.

"Yes. In our tribe, women are forbidden to learn waterbending."

Katara's eyes widened, and she clenched her fists.

"What?! How can you refuse us?! We did not travel across the world to be turned down like this!" she cried.

"I said no," Pakku said.

"There must be other female waterbenders here. Where are they?!"

"Yugoda teaches the women here on the art of healing. If you want to learn waterbending, then take one of her classes."

"I already know how to heal. I want to know how to fight, and Ursa wants to figure out how to not icebend!"

Pakku turned his eyes to me. "Is that true? You can only icebend?"

"Uh..." I mumbled. "Yes, sir. But I don't expect you to have a solution."

"Good, because the only person I am willing to help is the Avatar. Come this way, Avatar Aang."

Aang scowled. "No."

"No?"

"You heard me. If you're not going to help Katara and Ursa, then I won't learn from you! We're out of here!"

"Good luck learning waterbending on your own, then," Pakku said.

"Wait, Aang!" Katara said, jogging over to Aang. "Don't sacrifice your training for our sake. You need to learn from Master Pakku."

"But what about you guys?" Aang said.

Katara sighed. "We'll be fine. I'm not going down without a fight. Let's go, Ursa."

"Good luck," I whispered to Aang as we left the Palace. "So, what now?"

"I guess... we can go check out Yugoda's healing class."

"Actually..." I said, stepping away. "You go on ahead, Katara."

"You sure? Don't you want to try a hand at healing?"

I shook my head. "I'm fine. I'm don't think I'm even capable of healing."

"Okay... I'll see you later." Katara waved and headed down the path.

* * *

Katara, deciding she's had enough, challenged Pakku to a waterbending duel. Despite losing, she and Pakku were able to make a connection through Katara's necklace; apparently Pakku was the one who made it, and he was the one who was to marry Gran Gran. However, Gran Gran left because she didn't agree with the Northern Water Tribe's customs. Pakku's change of heart allowed Katara to be taught by him.

Stomping my foot against the ground, a staircase of ice climbed up the large wall of ice surrounding the city. I climbed the stairs, each one returning to the earth once my foot lifted off, and stood on the top of the wall. I sat down and dispelled the rest of the ice staircase. The air from up here was bone-chilling, and I pulled my overcoat tighter around me. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my headpiece. I closed my eyes, and behind my eyelids, my encounter with the scarred boy back at the abbey replayed in my mind. I opened my eyes and stared at my headpiece.

 _Why does he want this so badly?_ I thought. I could still remember the pain in his eyes from when I escaped with my friends, claiming my headpiece once again from his clutches. _Maybe this is also important to him._ My fingers closed around my headpiece, and I scowled. _Too bad. I won't let him take this from me again._

A low roar filled the air, and a shadow flew over me. I opened my eyes as a gust of wind pushed against my back. I held my ponytail back and looked up. Appa soared above the icy ocean.

"What the...?" I squinted to try and see who rode on his back. I caught of glimpse of long, white hair blowing in the breeze standing next to a blue overcoat. I sighed.

I pocketed my headpiece, climbed to my feet, and stretched my arms above my head. Snowflakes fell from the thin clouds above and kissed my face. However, as they continued to fall, they started to feel heavier and grittier. I opened my eyes. Heavy, black soot replaced the fluffy, white snow. My eyes widened as I looked off into the distance. Multiple smoke stacks rose on the horizon. They meshed together to create thick, dark clouds.

I turned on my heel and leaped off the wall. Ice rose from the ground like a pillar, and I landed on it. My foot slipped, and I tumbled off and hit the ground with a pained grunt. I scrambled to my feet and hurried down the roads. The soot stopped as soon as it started, but it didn't go unnoticed by the Tribe. The citizens crowded the bridge leading to the palace. I stood on the tips of my toes and searched for any of my friends. With a frustrated sigh, I leaped towards the canal. As my foot touched the surface of the water, it hardened to ice. I jumped again and reached the other side. I hurried up the stairs.

"Ursa!" Katara spotted me from the top of the staircase. She met me halfway and threw her arms around me. "Thank goodness you're okay. I couldn't find you during all the commotion. Where's Sokka?"

"I... have an idea," I said. "I'm sure he's on his way over here. Let's find Aang and get inside."

Katara nodded quickly, and we climbed up the staircase. Aang squirmed near the palace entrance. He relaxed a little when he saw us coming. We entered the palace and sat down before the chief. As more people filed into the room, the heavier the atmosphere grew. Sokka plopped down next to Aang, his face in a deep scowl.

"Are you...?" Aang started, but his voice trailed off.

Chief Arnook stood, and the room hushed. "This is a day that has loomed over our heads for quite some time. It is with a heavy heart that I ask for volunteers to take on a dangerous mission."

Sokka jumped to his feet. "Count me in."

"Sokka..." Katara said as more men stood.

"I must warn you that some of you may not return from this mission. If that be the case, know that your sacrifice will forever be honored in this Tribe. Come forward and receive my mark."

Sokka and the men lined up before the chief. Aang stood and headed for the door. Katara and I glanced at each other and followed him. Aang perched on a snow sculpture and looked out into the horizon.

"Maybe this won't be as... bad," Katara said. "Remember the Southern Water Tribe? They might just be looking for you again."

"You didn't see what I saw," I said. "The smoke created by the ships was so thick, it covered the sky. There's more than one ship; a large fleet is coming."

"But it will be different," Aang said. He stood. "I may have been unable to protect my people from the Fire Nation, but I will protect yours."

"Avatar," We turned to face Chief Arnook, "our warriors are gathering at the wall. I ask that you join them."

Aang hopped off the sculpture. "Okay. Ursa, Katara, are you coming with us?"

"Of course," Katara said.

Aang nodded, and we hurried down the palace steps. Aang veered off to the stables to go get Appa while Katara and I continued towards the wall. We found Sokka and stood beside him. A few minutes later, Aang and Appa arrived.

We stood in the center of the line and stared out into the ocean. I anxiously tapped my foot against the snow. Katara reached out and gripped my hand. I flashed a small smile, but it faded when I faced forward again.

A tiny dot appeared on the horizon- a Fire Navy ship. I held my breath as the dot slowly grew bigger. As the dot grew bigger, so did something else. A flash of light gleamed from the top of the ship and rocketed towards us. As it grew closer, we saw it in its actuality. The fireball smashed into the wall, creating a gaping hole. The wall rumbled violently, and I was knocked off my feet. I fell off the wall and landed in a pile of snow. More snow dumped on top of me. I thrashed, but the heavy snow limited my movement. I clenched my fists and heard the crackling of ice. The snow surrounding me hardened. I quickly straightened my fingers, and the ice shattered and scattered in multiple directions. I stood and crawled out of the pile of ice.

"Ursa!" I looked and saw Sokka helping Katara out of a pile of snow. I hurried over to them. We looked to the top of the wall; Aang and Appa were gone.

"Warriors! Gather at the palace!" Chief Arnook exclaimed.

"I've got to go," Sokka said.

Katara gripped Sokka's arm. "Please, be careful," she said. Sokka smiled reassuringly and hurried towards the palace. Katara turned to me. "What do we do?"

"Um..." I said. "We should head to the palace, too. It's too dangerous for us here."

* * *

The battle carried on until the evening. The sun began to sink below the surface, and the sky shifted to an orange tint. From the vantage point the palace gave, we could see the front line of Fire Navy ships. Because of the onslaught of fireballs, however, I knew there were many more. The fleet stopped firing. Smoke rose from various places of the area where the fireballs hit. Aang guided Appa down to us.

"Aang!" Katara cried. Her, Yue, and I hurried down to greet him. "Is it over? Did we win?"

Aang sighed and slid down Appa's head. "I don't know why they stopped..." Aang gripped his head in his hands.

"Are you okay?"

"There's _so many_ of them," Aang mumbled. "I must have taken out a dozen of those ships, but I don't think it made a difference. I don't know if I can keep this up..."

"But... you have to..." Yue said. Aang bowed and shook his head. Katara knelt at his side and rubbed his back.

"You did the best you could, Aang, and I'm proud of you," Katara said. "Let's get you inside. It's been a long day, and we need all the rest we can get for tomorrow."

* * *

Night fell, but as calming as the starry sky looked, the Fire Navy fleet kept the Tribe paranoid and anxious. Katara, Aang, Yue, and I stood on the palace's balcony and looked up at the moon. Its warm, white rays reflected off the snow and allowed us to see.

"When I was a child, my grandfather told me stories about the origins of waterbending," Yue said. "Apparently, our ancestors observed how the moon pushed and pulled the ocean waves, and they taught themselves how to do that, too. Waterbenders feel a special connection with the moon, and they find that their waterbending is stronger at nighttime. Our strength comes from the Moon Spirit, and our life comes from the Ocean Spirit. They work together to keep balance."

Aang, who rested his chin on the snow rail, perked up. "Spirits! That's it!" he cried. "If I can find them, then maybe they'll help me out!"

"Really? You can do something like that?"

"Uh-huh. It's part of being the Avatar. The only problem is getting to the Spirit World; I'm not really a master at that yet..."

Yue tapped a finger against her chin. Her eyes lit up. "I have an idea. Follow me."

We walked around the perimeter of the palace and to its back. We arrived at a small door within a tiny courtyard.

"In here." Yue opened the door. We crawled through. Two branching pathways led to the same spot; a small oasis at the end of the area. "This is the most spiritual place in the Northern Water Tribe."

"Wow," Aang gasped. He sprinted down the path and to the oasis. He collapsed on the ground. "I never thought grass could feel so good!"

We jogged over to Aang and gazed at the oasis. The deep green grass crunched underneath my feet.

"It's so warm here. How is this possible?" Katara said.

"It's the center of spiritual energy in our land," Yue said.

The warmth seeped into my overcoat, and I started to sweat. I pulled my coat off and laid it in the grass. I twisted my torso, my flexibility fully restored once again.

"What a beautiful place," Aang said. He sat by the pond. "There's something... special about this oasis. I can feel it."

Aang closed his eyes and pressed his knuckles together. Yue, Katara and I stood underneath the arch and watched him.

"Is this part of the Avatar process?" Yue said.

"Yup. This is how Aang goes into the Spirit World," Katara said.

"Shh," I hissed.

"Thank you," Aang called over his shoulder. He groaned. "Why is this so hard?!"

"Just relax and focus, Aang. You're doing great."

"Aye, aye." Aang saluted sarcastically.

Silence followed. We stared at the back of Aang's head in quiet anticipation. After a few moments, Aang's tattoos glowed white.

"What happened? Is he okay?" Yue said.

"Aang's crossing into the Spirit World. As long as we don't move his body, he'll be fine," Katara said.

"I don't know... I still think we should get some help."

"Aang has me and Ursa. If anyone tries to interfere, we'll put a stop to them."

Footsteps creaked against one of the bridges. "That's reassuring."

The three of us turned to face the scarred Fire Nation boy as he approached us. My eyes widened, and I glanced at my overcoat. My headpiece was still in one of the pockets.

"You," Katara hissed.

"Give me the Avatar, and I'll leave peacefully," the boy said.

"Yue, run!"

Yue nodded and hurried down the other path and to the door.

"There's no way that we'll let you take Aang." Katara struck a battling stance. The boy smirked.

I clenched my fists. I reached out and gripped Katara's shoulder. I stepped in front of her.

"Go," I said. "I'll handle him."

"What? But, Ursa, you-"

Katara held her tongue, but I knew what she wanted to say: _"You don't have that much fighting experience."_

"It's okay," I said. I kept my eyes on the scarred boy. "I promise I'll protect Aang. I need you to go and protect Yue. If he's here, then who knows who else managed to sneak into the palace."

Katara gulped. "...Good luck..." Katara glanced at Aang before hurrying towards the palace.

I took a deep breath and raised my hands.

"You have something I want," the boy said. "And I'm not talking about the Avatar."

"You're not getting it," I said. I fought the urge to glance at my overcoat again. The moon's rays helped me see the boy as he stepped onto the grass. His face was covered in bruises and bloody scratches. "You look terrible."

"Trust me, I've been through worse."

The boy leaped into the air and thrust his foot out, launching a column of fire at me. He followed quickly after with several air punches, shooting more fire at me. I swiped my left arm diagonally. A stream of water shot from the oasis and hardened into ice. The fire collided with the ice, and the ice immediately melted into water. As soon as it melted, I refroze it and blocked the rest of the fire. The boy slowly approached as he continued to shoot fire. He thrust his fist forward again. I ducked, and the fireball soared over my head and collided with the wall.

I thrust my clenched fist forward. A column of ice shot from the oasis and slammed into the boy's torso. He flew back and hit the ground. I stood and, with a grunt, thrust both fists forward. The ice shattered into shards and flew towards the boy. The boy clapped his outstretched hands, and as they came together, fire ignited from his fingertips in a double arc. Half of the ice melted while the other half evaporated into steam.

"I see someone is well-versed with firebending techniques," the boy said. He clenched his fists, and fire daggers ignited at his hands.

I stretched my arm out, my fingers relaxed. Water rose from a puddle at my feet and morphed into a sword. I gripped it with both hands and held it like a baseball bat. The sky lightened as the sun began to rise.

 _Morning already? I've been up all night?_

The boy lunged and swung his fire daggers. I lifted the ice sword and blocked his attack.

"Let's see how you fare without extra help," the boy said.

The fire slowly sliced through my ice. The boy smirked as I watched the ice. In my bottom peripheral, the boy reared back his foot. I leaped back as the boy swung his foot. I tightened my grip, and the ice blade reformed. I stabbed the sword forward, the tip of the blade aimed for the boy's chest. The boy flinched and stumbled back. With a cry, I thrust my palm forward. Water gushed from the oasis, and the puddles in the grass were sucked dry, too. The water crashed into the boy, launching him into the wall. The water solidified into ice, imprisoning the boy against the wall. He tried to melt the ice, but I rechilled it immediately.

Tightening my grip on the sword's handle, I approached the boy.

"I won't let you and the Fire Nation take anything from me anymore!" I cried. I reeled my arm back. The boy's eyes widened.

"Ashe! Stop!" I froze in my pose. I looked over my shoulder. Iroh stood on the opposite wooden bridge, doubled over and panting.

My scowl faded. "...Iroh?" I said.

"Open your eyes! Don't you realize who that is?!" Iroh cried.

"What...?" I looked to the boy. His face was stripped of any ill will, replaced instead by terror as he stared at the sword raised above my head.

Our eyes met. All the tension left my body, and my arms fell to my sides. The sword slipped from my hands. The ice encasing the boy shattered, and he slumped against the ground.

My eyes trembled. I opened my mouth, desperate to find my voice once again. For a moment, I forgot to breathe.

"...Zuko?" I whispered.

Zuko climbed to his feet, his chest heaving. The trickling waterfall behind the oasis provided the only source of sound. Zuko opened his mouth to speak.

Something smashed into the ice wall. The tip of a Fire Navy ship punctured through the layers of ice. The oasis rumbled violently, and I lost my balance and fell to the ground. As the rumbling continued, footsteps rushed past me. I sat up. Zuko was no longer in front of me. I looked around and found him sprinting towards the exit, carrying Aang on his back.

"Wait!" I scrambled to my feet and hurried to the bridge. I stumbled to a stop as Iroh stood at the peak of the bridge. "Iroh..."

Iroh smiled and stepped out of the way. I flashed a grateful smile and sprinted for the exit.

 _Zuko..._ His name repeated in my mind. _You're alive!_


	18. The Siege of the North, Part 2

~TPPOV~

"Ursa!" Sokka, Katara, and Yue entered the oasis on Appa, only to see it empty. They climbed off Appa's saddle. "Oh, no..."

"You don't think Ursa lost, did she?" Katara said. "Oh, I should have stayed with her! I can't believe I let her take on Zuko alone!"

Sokka rested a hand on Katara's shoulder. "I'm sure she did the best she could. She probably went after Aang."

"She even left her coat," Yue said as she walked over to Ursa's coat laying in the grass. She knelt and picked it up. Something shiny fell out of the pocket. "What's this?"

Yue pinched the golden flame headpiece between her fingers and stood up. She examined it carefully.

"This is... something that belongs to the Fire Nation Royal Family," Yue said. She turned to Sokka and Katara with wide eyes. "Why does Ursa have this?"

"I'm not sure," Katara said. She held her hand out, and Yue placed the headpiece in her palm. Sokka peered over his sister's shoulder and they both stared at it. "It's really important to her, though. I'm surprised she left this behind."

Sokka leaned back and cupped his chin in his hand.

"What are you thinking?" Yue said.

"Um..." Sokka shook his head. "Nothing. Let's get moving. The sooner we start looking, the sooner we'll find Aang and Ursa."

Katara and Yue nodded. Yue handed Katara Ursa's coat, and Katara placed Ursa's headpiece back in the pocket.

* * *

~ASHE~

I hugged my arms tightly. My teeth chattered violently. The snowfall grew heavier the deeper we traversed into the tundra. I squinted through the snow and saw Zuko and Aang several feet away. Zuko's trudge through the two-feet snow allowed a clear path for me, but I kept my distance. So far, he hasn't seen me.

A gust of wind cut through my clothes. A deep shiver crawled down my spine. _I can't believe I forgot my coat,_ I thought.

I gasped and stopped. I looked back in the other direction. The Northern Water Tribe was shrouded by the snow storm. The path behind me had already started to fill up again.

 _I forgot my headpiece..._ My fingers tightened around my biceps. I shook my head and continued to follow Zuko.

My ears perked at the sound of crackling ice. I looked down and saw the ground beneath me cracking. The cracks traveled towards Zuko. I gulped and clapped my hands together. The ice slid back together. I looked up, just in time to see Zuko stop. As he turned around, I dropped to my stomach. I forced myself to breathe quieter, as if he could hear it through this snowstorm. He turned forward and continued down the path.

I stood up and squirmed. Snow had fallen into my shirt, and it burned my skin. Zuko had gotten further away. In the distance, I saw the entrance to a cave. Zuko disappeared inside the cave. I shifted into a jog. I stopped at the entrance to the cave. My heart pounded. I pressed my hand against my chest, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. I stepped inside.

Zuko heard my footsteps, leaped to his feet, and poised himself to attack. However, upon seeing me, he dropped his arms and stood straight. I looked to Aang, who sat against the wall with rope wrapped around his torso. His tattoos still glowed white. I looked back at Zuko, who hadn't taken his eyes off me.

I smiled. "Hey, stranger," I said. My voice refused to be anything louder than a mother talking to her sleepy child. Zuko looked away. "You're not going to say anything to me?"

"I... don't know what to say," Zuko said. When he looked at me again, he flinched. "You're..."

I reached up and brushed my fingers against my cheek. I pulled away and saw the water glistening on my fingertips. I realized the heavy tears pouring from my eyes.

"I... I'm so happy. I thought you were dead," I said as I wiped my cheeks. I heaved every couple of words. "All this time... I thought that... my family was gone. I spent so many nights... blaming myself... for losing you. I thought I was... all alone..."

Zuko's face fell blank. He approached me, stopping directly in front of me. I stopped wiping my eyes and looked up at him. The height difference was greater compared to when we were kids; the top of my head reached his chin.

Zuko bowed his head. "I'm sorry, Ashe."

A deep shudder rushed down my body. My heart tightened, and I quietly gasped for air. My knees wobbled, but I fought to remain standing. My eyes traveled to his scar. I lifted my hand, holding it momentarily over my heart. I reached up and cupped his cheek in my hand. Zuko flinched intensely, almost to the point of whiplash. Gently, I caressed the rough skin with my thumb. I met his wide gaze and smiled. Zuko sighed and closed his eyes. He reached up and gripped my forearm, his fingers directly on top of my scar. The warmth of his hand seeped through the sarashi.

It was hard to believe that this was the same person who had been chasing us for the last few weeks. I wanted to ask questions, but I didn't want to disturb his tranquil expression.

"I'm also sorry," Zuko said, "for all those times I attacked you. I didn't recognize you. I... thought _you_ were dead."

I shook my head. "We've both changed quite a bit."

"I'll say. I didn't know you could waterbend."

"More like icebend. It was a surprise to me, too, when I found out."

"...Your hand's cold."

I chuckled, a light blush on my cheeks. "I get that a lot." I examined a scratch next to his left eye. I glanced at the ice wall. I pivoted my foot, and a small chunk of ice broke off the wall and flew towards me. I reached out and caught it. "Hold still."

I pressed the ice against the scratch. Zuko jerked back from the cold and winced from the pain, but I insisted on keeping the ice on his skin. Having grown used to it, Zuko relaxed.

As I watched the ice, however, it began to glow. It glowed for a few seconds before it stopped. I pulled the ice away, and my eyes widened. The scratch was gone; it had healed completely.

"Whoa," I whispered. Zuko touched where the scratch once was. "I guess I _can_ heal."

I held the ice against the remaining scratches on Zuko's face. The ice glowed each time, healing all his gashes.

"Um... The bruises should heal within a day or two," I said. My arms fell back to my sides.

Zuko looked to me, and he gave me a small smile. "Thank you, Ashe."

My eyes widened in surprise, but it quickly melted into a smile. "You're welcome." My smile faded as I examined Zuko's face.

I had to ask.

"Zuko..."

The cave erupted with a bright, white light. I covered my eyes until the light subsided. A quiet groan followed. Zuko and I looked to Aang, whose eyes shot open with a gasp. He looked up.

"Ursa...?" he said. He locked eyes with Zuko and scowled. "Get away from her!"

"Aang, wait-"

Aang inhaled deeply and expelled a column of wind. It hit Zuko's chest, and he slammed into the wall. At the same time, Aang flew out of the cave.

"Appa!" Aang cried, followed shortly by Appa's guttural growl. I sprinted out of the cave. The blizzard has stopped sometime during our stay.

"Ursa!" Katara tackled me in a hug. "Thank goodness you're safe. We were so worried!"

Katara pulled away. Her eyes moved to something behind me, and she gasped. Her face glowed for a moment as a fireball flew past us. Aang, who had the rope removed thanks to Sokka, leaped out of the way of the fireball. The fireball hit the snow and extinguished immediately. We turned and faced Zuko, who emerged from the cave.

"Wait!" I cried. I pulled myself away from Katara and jogged a few steps closer to Zuko. "C-Come with us!"

Zuko faltered in his stance.

"Ashe..." he said. He clenched his fists for a moment before relaxing them again. "I'm sorry, but you wouldn't understand."

"Huh...?" A blast of snow rushed past me and hit Zuko. It slammed him into the cave. He collapsed to the ground, unconscious. I whirled around to Katara. "Why did you do that?!"

"Excuse me?" Katara lowered her arms. "He was going to attack us! What were _you_ doing?"

"Guys, let's just hurry up and get out of here!" Sokka said.

I turned back around and ran to Zuko's side. I knelt, grabbed his arm, and placed it over my shoulders.

"What are you doing?!"

"I'm not leaving him here!" I cried.

My friends stared at me as I climbed to my feet. Zuko's limp body bore completely on me. As I trudged towards Appa, Zuko's weight balanced onto another person. I glanced past him and at Aang, who gave me a quiet nod. Together, we brought Zuko over to Appa. I climbed into the saddle first, then Aang leaped on with a gust of wind. We propped Zuko against the edge of the saddle.

"And this is a good idea because...?" Sokka said.

I ignored him. Aang returned to the reins, and I sat in front of Zuko.

"Oh, Ursa," Katara held out my overcoat, "you forgot this."

I accepted the coat with a smile. "Thank you."

I unfolded the coat, but instead of putting it on, I wrapped it around Zuko. Sokka and Yue exchanged glances. I pulled my headpiece from the pocket. I stared at it for a few moments as a small smile filled my lips. I took Zuko's hand, placed the headpiece in his palm, and closed his fingers around it. I rested his hand back in his lap.

I sat back and looked forward, ignoring the hot stares of those sitting behind me. I lifted my gaze to the moon. I watched as a flood of red, dark as blood, swam over the moon and consumed its white glow. My eyes widened as the entire area turned dark red. Yue groaned and clutched her head.

"What's wrong?" Sokka said.

"I don't... feel well," Yue said.

"Me neither," Aang said. He looked up at the moon. "The Moon Spirit is in trouble." Aang glanced over his shoulder. "How is it you're affected?"

Yue looked up at the moon. "I was supposed to die when I was born. I was very sick, and nothing the Tribe's healers did could heal me. My father spent hours pleading to the Spirits that I would live. That night, beneath the full moon, my parents brought me to the oasis and placed me in the pond. My hair turned snow white, and I cried for the first time. My mother named me Yue, to honor the Spirit who saved me."

Aang snapped the reins, and Appa flew faster. Below us, the Fire Navy fleet overcame the waterbenders; without the moon, we were powerless.

We entered the oasis, where a group of Fire Nation soldiers stood before the pond. I gasped when I saw Zhao standing in front of them all. He held out a burlap sack, which wriggled violently. Without its partner, the Ocean Spirit swam sporadically.

"Hello, Avatar," Zhao said as my friends hopped out of the saddle. I laid Zuko in the saddle so Zhao couldn't see him and stood up. Zhao's gaze shifted to me, and he smirked. "Two reunions in one. It brings a tear to my eye. Tell me, Avatar, are you aware that you've been traveling with an outlaw this entire time?"

I hopped off Appa and stood next to Katara. Aang scowled and tightened his grip on his staff. "You're mistaken," he said.

"Am I?" Zhao raised his fist and aimed it at the squirming bag.

Aang's face fell, and he dropped staff. "Zhao, don't. You have no idea what you're doing."

"Oh, I _know_ what I'm doing. I'm marking myself down in history. People every will know of Zhao the Admiral, the man who slayed the Moon Spirit. The Water Tribe will exist no more."

"If you kill the Moon Spirit, you'll hurt all nations. Not just the Water Tribe. Without the moon, the world will fall out of balance. You have no idea of the chaos that will bring."

"The Avatar is right." Iroh emerged from the small tangle of shrubbery behind the oasis. He was still here?

"General Iroh. You know, anyone else would be surprised by your treachery," Zhao said.

"I am not a traitor for speaking the truth. The Fire Nation needs the moon, too," Iroh said. Zhao scoffed, and Iroh scowled. He raised his hands. "If you so much as lay a finger on the Moon Spirit, you _will_ regret it, Zhao. Let it go, _now_!"

I flinched from Iroh's aggression; I've never seen this intense side of him.

Zhao's scowl melted. He crouched at the oasis, turned the bag upside-down, and placed the Moon Spirit back in the water. The moon turned white again. I breathed a sigh of relief.

The sigh clogged my throat as Zhao's angry expression returned. With a roar, he slashed his hand diagonally. Fire erupted from his finger tips and consumed the oasis. The oasis and the people around me lost all color. I looked up at the sky and found no moon. The land had reduced to grayscale.

Iroh lunged from his spot and attacked the four Fire Nation soldiers standing behind Zhao. Within seconds, they were on the ground. Zhao stumbled back, a wild, fearful look in his eyes, and he sprinted for the exit. I clenched my fists. I glanced back at my friends, who gathered around Iroh and the oasis, and darted down the path.

At the top of the palace stairs, I saw Zhao leap off halfway and onto a bridge. I grit my teeth and climbed down the stairs as fast as my legs could. At the halfway point, the area behind me glowed bright blue. I turned and gaped at the giant, glowing blue koi fish looming over the palace. It moved forward, its body phasing through the palace. I leaped off the stairs and onto the bridge below. I landed in a somersault and stopped on my back. I climbed to my feet and turned again. The koi fish stopped and turned its head to me. Aang floated in a white orb within the koi fish's chest, his tattoos and eyes aglow. I sucked in a deep breath as Aang observed me. After a few moments, the koi fish turned and continued on its way. I released the air in my lungs, turned, and continued.

Blasts of fire erupted further down the street. I hid behind a nearby sculpture and peeked my head out. Zuko and Zhao stood several feet away from one another.

"I did what was best for the Fire Nation. I know you're the Blue Spirit. You're a traitor, _Prince_ Zuko," Zhao said. He chuckled. "As if you're even worthy of that title anymore. You're a disgrace to the Fire Nation, you and your pathetic lackey. I should have killed the both of you a long time ago."

Zuko grit his teeth. "You leave her out of this. This is between you and me!"

Zuko charged, and Zhao smirked. They exchanged fireballs and hand-to-hand combat. Zuko shoved his foot into Zhao's back and knocked him to the path below. I snuck down the path and watched directly above.

"I just saw her recently. Looks like she dumped you for new friends," Zhao said. "As if she would even want to see you again. _I_ can't stand the sight of you. Tell me, how loudly do you think she'll scream?"

My fingers tensed against the ice rail. I climbed onto the rail and leaped. I landed behind Zhao. Zuko's eyes widened when he saw me. I rushed towards Zhao. As he turned around, I lunged and tackled him. We both hit the ground.

"What the-?!" Zhao grabbed my shoulders and shoved me back. I landed on my butt. I scrambled to my feet.

As I stood up straight, Zhao was already on his feet. He reeled back his hand and swung. A sharp slap pierced the air. My head jerked to the right, and my cheek stung deeply. I lost my balance and crumpled to the ground.

 _"What happened?"_

 _"I... fell."_

 _"Who did this to you?"_

 _"...Zhao. Zhao did it."_

I heard Zuko roar, followed by a flood of fire. I lifted my head and squinted through the bright, orange glow. Zuko attacked Zhao relentlessly, and Zhao stumbled back as he blocked the fireballs. I touched my swollen cheek and winced.

All at once, the color returned. I gasped and looked up at the sky; the moon was back. Its white rays illuminated the village. I looked back to the battle before me. I stared at Zuko's back, my eyes trembling.

The familiar rush of power returned to me once more. Below, I heard the flowing stream of water. I planted my hands on the ground and pushed back onto my feet.

 _From here on out..._

I closed my eyes.

 _I, Ashe, promise to forever and always protect my friend, Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation..._

Slowly, I raised my arms up to the side, my muscles and finger relaxed. The rushing water grew louder, until it consumed my ears.

 _Anything that tries to hurt him..._

My eyes popped open, and I scowled. "...Will have to go through me first!"

Zuko and Zhao had stopped their battle and watched with wide eyes. I brought my palms together at my left hip and thrust my palms forward with a loud cry.

Hundreds of gallons of water rushed past me. Zuko lunged out of the way. Zhao cried out as he was consumed in water. It launched him several feet backwards. The water trickled back into the stream, and Zhao lay in a puddle. My arms dangled at my sides. My eyelids drooped. I lifted my head.

A mass of glowing blue and white water, originally the koi monster, emerged from the stream below and grabbed Zhao. Zuko watched as the Moon Spirit pulled Zhao into the water. He turned and faced me.

My vision grew fuzzy. My body felt like it was full of lead. I tried to focus on Zuko as he switch from clear to blurry.

"Ashe...?" Zuko said.

I exhaled from my nostrils and gave him a smile. My eyes closed, and I lurched forward.

* * *

~TPPOV~

"Ashe!" Zuko lunged as Ashe crumpled to the ground. His arms wrapped around her, and her weight pulled him down to one knee. Her face lay against his chest. Her shoulders rose and fell softly; her exhaustion rendered her unconscious.

Zuko shifted and laid Ashe on the ground. He reached into his pocket and pulled out her golden headpiece. He opened Ashe's hand, placed the headpiece inside, closed her fingers around it, and laid her hand on her stomach. He slid his hands underneath her and lifted her off the ground. He sighed, turned on his heel, and walked towards the palace stairs.

* * *

 _Zuko watched the turtle ducks and their mom dance across the pond's surface. The mom quacked softly to her ducklings, and they all listened intently. Zuko absentmindedly played with the empty bread bag, ignoring the loose crumbs that fell into his lap._

 _A weight fell against his shoulder. Zuko perked up and looked to Ashe, who leaned against him. She was fast asleep. Zuko stared at her peaceful expression. Zuko sighed and looked up at the dark sky._

 _"I guess it is late," he said. He chuckled and looked at Ashe. "Come on, let's get you in bed."_

 _Zuko sat Ashe upright and pulled her arms over his shoulders. Ashe groaned in protest. Zuko pulled her onto his back and stood up. He trekked through the gardens and back to Ashe's bedroom window, which was still open._

 _"Ashe," Zuko whispered. Ashe mumbled incoherently. "Ashe, you can sleep once you're in your bed."_

 _Ashe lifted her head off Zuko's shoulder and blinked slowly. She lazily reached for the windowsill. Zuko twisted to the side, and Ashe grabbed the windowsill. She hoisted herself up while Zuko spotted her. Ashe's foot slipped. Zuko planted his hands on her back and pushed her onto the windowsill. Ashe slid onto the window seat and turned around._

 _"Thanks, Zuko. That was fun," she said with a sleepy smile._

 _Zuko returned the smile. "I'll see you tomorrow."_

 _Zuko waved and jogged away. Ashe closed the window and the curtains._

* * *

The Avatar gang sat around the oasis. No one spoke, they only exchanged occasional glances.

Footsteps approached. The three looked up and leaped to their feet as Zuko approached. Poised to attack, they watched him carefully.

When Zuko was close enough, they noticed something in his arms. As Zuko crossed the bridge and stood before them, they dropped their battle stances and stared at Ashe, who lay in Zuko's arms. Zuko carefully lowered Ashe to the ground. Some hair had fallen in her face. Zuko reached out, but stopped an inch from her face. His hand retreated back to his side. He stood up, glancing at the others, and ran away.

Katara ran to Ashe's side. She knelt and held Ashe in her arms. Sokka and Aang joined her. Katara gently touched Ashe's red, swollen cheek. Katara noticed Ashe's closed fingers. She opened them, revealing her headpiece. Katara looked at the others. Still, no one spoke.

* * *

Iroh and Zuko floated across the surface of the water on a small, makeshift raft. Iroh wrapped a rope around the post to secure the sail. He glanced over his shoulder and at Zuko, who sat at behind him and stared behind him. The Northern Water Tribe grew smaller and smaller.

"Prince Zuko..." Iroh said. Zuko didn't respond. Iroh smiled and focused back on tying the rope. "Are you happy?"

Zuko gently touched his scar. He closed his eyes, and his hand fell back into his lap.

"Yeah."

* * *

~ASHE~

The Northern Water Tribe grew smaller the further we flew away. The artic wind blew my ponytail back and chilled my cheeks and ears. My left cheek had stopped throbbing, but it was still tender to the touch. Few words were exchanged since last night. We said our small goodbyes to Chief Arnook before climbing onto a Water Tribe ship and setting sail, accompanied by Master Pakku. Sokka was the most mentally distant. With his back to all of us, he stared at the sky.

I looked down at my flame headpiece resting in the palm of my hand. Even with the cloudy sky, the gold metal shimmered. Zuko was all I could think about. I still couldn't believe he was alive.

But... why was he trying so hard to capture Aang?

 _"I'm sorry, but you wouldn't understand..."_

I closed my fingers around my headpiece and held it tightly against my heart. I raised my free hand in the air and swirled it around in front of me. A stream of water emerged from the ocean and coiled like a snake before me. A small smile curled on my lips. I dropped my hand and laid it over the other. I looked up at the cloudy sky.

 _I won't let this be the last time._ My fingers tightened. _I'll see you again, Zuko. Count on it._

* * *

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE:  
**

 **And that's the end of Book One. Thank you all for reading my story and following Ashe's adventures. Now that Zuko and Ashe finally recognize each other, the story is about to get more interesting. I hope you'll continue to stick around and find out more. Again, thanks so much!**

 **Stay tuned!**


	19. The Avatar State

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

 **From the Ashes reached 10,000 views. Thank you so much for your support!**

* * *

With my elbows on the edge of the boat, I hunched my shoulders and looked up at the moon. It glimmered softly in the night sky. Clouds passed over it every now and then. The Water Tribe ship groaned against the waves. I leaned over the edge and watched the water caress the side. My first instinct was to run my fingers over the surface, but I risked falling in. A couple of crew members were awake and quietly tending to the ship to ensure we didn't go off course or run into any problems.

I heard creaking behind me, and I glanced over my shoulder. Aang climbed up the ladder leading down into our room and walked to my side.

"Having trouble sleeping?" I said.

"Yeah," Aang said. He chuckled. "That makes two of us, I guess."

I rolled my eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I haven't seen _you_ sleep since the Northern Water Tribe. It's been three weeks since we left."

I propped my chin in my hand. "My mind keeps me up at night. I've had a lot to think about."

"I bet. I'm even more curious now." I glanced at Aang, and he held his hands up in defense. "Of course, if you don't want to tell us anything, it's fine. We understand."

"That's reassuring." I sighed. "What's keeping you up?"

Aang looked up at the moon. "I had a nightmare. I relived all the moments I've been in the Avatar State, but I watched from outside of my body," he said. "I didn't know I looked so... terrifying."

"Even when you're in the Avatar State, there's still a bit of awareness in you. You recognize me, Katara, and Sokka. At the Southern Air Temple, you allowed Katara to coax you out of the Avatar State. When you morphed with the Ocean Spirit, you saw me in the streets and passed me by. You didn't want to hurt any of us," I said. "It might be like this now, but maybe after you've mastered the Avatar State, you'll be able to gain full control."

"Maybe... I'd like to believe that, too," Aang said. He sighed and stretched his arms. "I'll definitely feel better once we get to Omashu. I miss Bumi."

I chuckled nervously. "You might be the only one who feels that way after what happened last time..." I rested a hand on Aang's shoulder. "You should try to go back to sleep."

"Only if you do the same."

"All right... but I can't make any promises."

"Then neither can I."

I smiled. "I'll be down in a bit."

Aang nodded and headed down the ladder. I watched the top of his head disappear down the hole, the moonlight reflecting off it. I looked at the moon again.

 _Knowing that he's out there somewhere, looking up at the same moon..._ I sighed. _That should be enough to still my thoughts, at least for tonight._

I stepped away from the edge and to the ladder.

* * *

I did manage to get some sleep last night, albeit not very much. Aang didn't either, so we could suffer together.

Yesterday was our last day sailing with Pakku. Aang stirred Appa and readied his saddle. Pakku and the crew members approached us.

"I wish I could escort you all the way to the Earth Kingdom," Pakku said.

"It's all right. You're needed back at the Water Tribe. Don't worry about us," Katara said.

Pakku opened the burlap sack in his hand and reach inside. "I have some things I'd like to give you all." First, Pakku pulled out a small vial hanging from a string. "Katara, this is for you. This vial contains water from the Spirit Oasis. The water has unique properties; it may be useful to you someday."

Katara held the string tightly and embraced Pakku. "Thank you, Master."

"Aang," Pakku handed Aang a box. Aang slid open the box, revealing a few scrolls, "these waterbending scrolls will help you with your waterbending, but don't let it be a substitute for a real master."

Aang glanced back at Katara and smiled. "I won't. Thank you, Master Pakku."

"Ursa," I flinched and stood straight as Pakku stood in front of me. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a scroll tied with a red ribbon, "this letter was left at the Spirit Oasis. It's addressed to you. I don't know who it's from, however."

I took the letter and examined it. I bowed. "Thank you."

Sokka stood next to me and smiled expectantly at Pakku.

"Finally, Sokka..." Pakku reached out and placed a hand on Sokka's shoulder. "Take good care of your sister and friends."

Pakku walked away, and Sokka's shoulders sagged. I chuckled sympathetically, placed my hands on his shoulders, and guided him to Appa. Katara held out her hands and helped us onto the saddle.

"The Earth Kingdom base is east from here. General Fong will provide you with an escort to Omashu. I have no doubt you will be safe there," Pakku said. "Avatar, I wish you good luck on your quest."

Aang nodded and snapped the reins. "Yip, yip!"

Appa growled, picked up his tail, and lifted off into the sky. We waved to Pakku and the crew until they were tiny specks in the ocean.

"Hey, Ursa," Katara said, squirming on her knees, "can I... see it again?"

I smiled and nodded. I uncapped one of my water skins. I placed my hand over the hole and pulled it away. The water followed in a stream. I waved my hand in a small circle, and the water followed the motion. I clenched my fingers, and the stream hardened into one, long piece of ice. I relaxed my fingers and lifted my hand again. The water thawed back to water, and I returned it to the water skin. Katara clapped.

"I can't believe you finally figured out how to waterbend!" Katara said. "Does this mean it's okay to call you a master?"

"I still find it a little much..." I said.

Aang turned around. "How _did_ you figure it out, anyways?"

"Well... I chased Zhao down after he left the oasis. I found him fighting Zuko. I stepped in, and... I started waterbending." I fiddled with the ends of the red ribbon keeping the letter rolled. "I don't remember anything after that; I passed out. The next thing I knew, I was surrounded by all of you in the Spirit Oasis."

Katara and Sokka glanced at each other.

"What?"

"We didn't take you back there, you know. Someone else brought you to us," Sokka said.

"Really? Who-"

I looked at their uncomfortable expressions, and my posture straightened. _Zuko_. He carried me back. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my golden, flame headpiece. I had woken up in the Spirit Oasis with it back in my possession. A smile twitched at the corner of my lips; I scratched my nose to hide it from my friends.

The hours flew by, the scenery changed, and the ocean was now behind us. Seeing greenery made me realize how much I missed land.

"Look! There's the base!" Sokka said. We leaned over the saddle and gazed at the white and gold base settled between several valleys. As we descended, a crowd of soldiers stood in a square. We landed and climbed off Appa. A man with a long beard and no helmet approached us.

"Avatar," he said. He and the soldiers behind him bowed, "welcome. I am General Fong. And welcome to all of you. I am honored to help you all."

Explosions boomed behind us, making me jump. We turned and looked at the fireworks coloring the sky. A line of earthbenders launched the fireworks into the sky.

"All right, I'm impressed," Sokka said.

"Please, come with us. We have much to discuss," General Fong said. The soldiers parted, opening a path to the base's main building.

We followed General Fong inside and to the large meeting room. General Fong sat at his desk, and we sat in front of him- that is, there was still several feet between us. I had to squint to see him.

"Avatar Aang, we were amazed when we heard of what you did at the Northern Water Tribe," General Fong said. "Single-handedly taking out a massive fleet of Fire Navy ships and driving the Fire Nation away... I can't imagine what it's like to wield such a tremendous power."

"I mean... I like to think I'll get used to it... eventually," Aang said.

General Fong smiled. "Aang... you're ready to face the Fire Lord."

My face flushed of color. I quickly looked to Aang and saw he wore the same horrified expression.

"N-No, I'm not!" he cried. "I only just learned waterbending, and I haven't even touched earthbending yet! That's why I'm here, so you can take me to my teacher!"

"What's the point when you have the Avatar State? You have thousands of years of experience at your disposal. You don't need to learn the other elements; your predecessors have already done that. All you have to do is tap into that, and you'll be able to defeat the Fire Lord in no time," General Fong said.

"But I don't know _how_ to go in or out of the Avatar State. It just... happens, and even then, I don't know what to do once I'm in it."

"Then it's simple; I'll help you figure out how to get into the Avatar State. Then, we'll set out for the Fire Nation."

I jumped to my feet. "We can't do that!" I cried. General Fong's eyes fell on me. My shoulders bunched around my ears. "Um... I mean..."

"What Ursa is trying to say is we already have a plan," Katara said as she and the other stood. My muscles relaxed, thankful for her stepping in. "Aang is going to master all four elements. Then, and only then, will he be ready to face the Fire Lord."

"Fine, then. While you stop to smell the roses, the war is still going on." General Fong stood. "Do you know how many people die, everyday, by the Fire Nation? Fathers, mothers, and children are slain mercilessly at the hands of the Fire Lord. But, please. Take your time. I understand perfectly." Aang's shoulders drooped. "I'll give you some time to think about it. A few of my soldiers will escort you to where you'll be staying."

* * *

Our bedroom was a quaint room, with the beds carved into the walls. Green curtains were provided for each bed for privacy. The blankets and pillows kept the beds cushioned and comfortable. Sokka had fallen asleep, but Katara and I were still awake.

"Can you believe that guy?" Katara mumbled. "Trying to make Aang feel bad in order to do what he wants. How despicable. He's not going to fall for something like that."

"Yeah..." I lay in my bed and stared at the beige rock. I ran my feet over the smooth surface.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just... Today's a special day."

Katara perked up. "That's right; I almost forgot."

I smiled. "Today marks three years since I left my home and came to the Southern Water Tribe."

I turned my head, and my smile faded. _Three years since I escaped the Fire Nation._

My feet flopped against the bed, and I heard the crinkling of paper. My fingers closed around the letter. I pulled it from my pocket and started to undo the red ribbon.

The doors opened, and Aang entered. He walked over and sat on his bed.

"So? Did you give the General a piece of your mind?" Katara said.

"Um... actually..." Aang sighed. "I told him I'd work with him."

"What? Aang, you can't do that!"

Sokka rolled over. "What's so bad about his plan? I mean, the sooner we stop the Fire Lord, the sooner this war will be over and everyone can be happy."

"But we already agreed to have Aang master the four elements. Sure, it may take time, but it would be more efficient."

"Um... You just contradicted yourself within your own sentence," Aang said.

"If we want to be 'efficient', we'll teach Aang how to go into super mode and squish the Fire Lord like a bug," Sokka said.

Katara scoffed. "Fine. If you two want to listen to General Jerkhead and do what he wants, be my guest." She rolled out of bed and marched to the door. "I'm going for a walk."

The door slammed shut behind her. Aang sighed.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Aang said to me.

I sat up. "Look, I want to stop Fire Lord Ozai more than anything. I'll never forgive him for the things he's done. But... there are better ways to go about this. You need to master the elements, Aang; that's one of your duties as the Avatar. What if, while fighting the Fire Lord, you somehow come out of the Avatar State? You only know airbending and a bit of waterbending. You would be completely defenseless."

Aang sighed and flopped onto his bed. "You have a point there..."

* * *

For the next few days, General Fong tried several different methods to try and coax Aang into the Avatar State. All of his methods, however, ended with failure. One of them ended with all of us coated in mud; I had to bathe twice to get rid of all the crud.

Aang continued to have nightmares about the Avatar State. After a particularly intense night, Aang changed his mind about seeking General Fong's help. The next morning, he, Sokka, and I went to visit with him. Katara didn't come with us. Sokka told me she and Aang had another disagreement the night before, so she needed some time to cool off.

We stood in General Fong's meeting room. Aang stood before the general while Sokka and I stood on the sidelines. A pair of soldiers stood on each side of the room, with another pair near the doors.

"So, are you ready to try again? I have a good feeling about today," General Fong said.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," Aang said. "I've decided that I don't want to try and bring on the Avatar State anymore."

"Why not?"

"I don't think the Avatar State is something we can trigger purposefully. If, by some chance, that we did manage to do that, how can we guarantee that I stay in it during my fight against the Fire Lord? What if I'm pulled out? Here and now, I'm not as experienced as I should be. My advantage would flip in an instance."

I lightly elbowed Sokka with a smile. "I told him that."

Sokka rolled his eyes. "Good job."

"Is that really how you feel?" General Fong said.

"It is. I hope you can understand. The Avatar State is something that I can enter only when I'm in genuine danger."

"I see..." General Fong stood up. "I was afraid you would say that."

General Fong pivoted his foot and thrust out his palms. His desk and the platform underneath it broke off and flew towards Aang. It slammed into him and rode towards the wall.

"Aang!" Sokka and I cried. The soldiers behind us grabbed us.

Aang and the desk crashed through the wall and down below to the courtyard. General Fong walked over to the hole in the wall.

"Men! Attack the Avatar!" he cried.

"Are you crazy?! Because at this point, I'm convinced that you are!" Sokka said.

"If this is the only way Aang can enter the Avatar State, then so be it." General Fong glanced back at us. "Watch those two."

General Fong leaped off the building. The soldiers' grip on my arms tightened. Sokka and I glanced at each other. Sokka gave me a tiny nod. I eyed my water skins and nodded back. I started to thrash. The soldiers holding me tried to keep me still. As I thrashed, one of the lids on my water skins popped off, and its contents spilled on the floor. Once it had emptied, I stomped my foot. The water hardened into ice, creating a slick surface. The soldiers slipped on the ice. They released me as they tried to keep their balance, and they fell to the ground. I commanded the ice to stretch over their bodies and keep them pinned to the ground.

I turned to Sokka, who was already free. His captors lay writhing on the ground in the fetal position.

"Nice job," Sokka said.

"What did you...?" I said. I shook my head. "Never mind. Let's go."

We ran to the hole in the wall and looked below. Aang scrambled all over the courtyard on an air scooter, dodging earth shooting up from the ground and soldiers riding on ostrich horses, carrying sharp spears.

"Come on, we've got to hurry down there," Sokka said.

"Wait," I said. I looked back at him and smiled. "I have a shortcut."

I raised my hands, and the water from my second water skin burst out. I took a few steps back, sprinted forward, and leaped. I thrust my arm down and at an angle. The water flattened to a thin slab and hardened to ice. I planted my feet against the ice and slid down to the ground. I heard Sokka screaming behind me. As I approached the ground, a mounted soldier stood in my way. Using the momentum, I leaped into the air. I gathered the ice into water and shot it towards the soldier. The gush of water knocked him off his saddle, and I stood on top of the ostrich horse. Before I could bask in my pride, the ostrich horse panicked and bucked. I lost my balance and fell off. Instead of the hard ground, I landed on top of Sokka. He wheezed.

"Get... off!" he rasped. I rolled off and stood up. "Next time... wait until _after_ I'm off your ice slide."

"Oh," I blushed and chuckled. I offered a hand, and Sokka took it and stood. "Sorry."

"Sokka! Ursa!" We turned and watched Katara climb down the stairs. She joined us, pausing a moment to catch her breath. "What is going on?!"

"General Jerkhead has gone insane!" Sokka said. "He's trying to force Aang into the Avatar State."

"What?!" We looked to Aang, who ran frantically from a mounted soldier. "We've got to help him!"

"That's the plan," I said. I pulled the water from the ground and formed it into a long whip. I swung my arm around and flicked my wrist in front of me. The water whip followed my motion and snapped, tripping a line of soldiers firing large discs at Aang. "Go on ahead. Sokka and I will cover for you."

Sokka reached behind him and pulled out his boomerang. "Show 'em what you're made of, boomerang!"

Sokka hurled his boomerang. We watched it soar through the air and bounce off the other line of discus-throwing soldiers.

"All right, boomerang!" Sokka jumped in the air and caught his boomerang. As his feet touched the ground, a column of rock hit him and pinned him against the wall. He tried to move, but only managed to wiggle his fingers.

"Sokka!" I called. I faced forward and watched the soldiers return to their posts. Katara stood in the middle of the courtyard. A wall of discs surrounded her.

Katara launched a sharp stream of water at General Fong. General Fong raised his hands, and the earth below flew up like geysers. The earth absorbed the water and fell to the ground as mud. I raised my arms and tucked them to my sides. The mud rose sloppily and flew towards General Fong. General Fong side-stepped, pivoted, and thrust his palm towards me. He gained control of the mud, and it consumed me. My back hit the wall. General Fong closed his hand into a fist, and the mud hardened to rock. I had zero wiggle room; my arms were pinned to my sides.

"You better do something, Avatar!" General Fong said. "Time is running out for your friend!"

General Fong stomped his foot, and Katara's legs sunk into the earth.

"Stop! Let her go!" Aang cried. He thrust his palms forward and created a column of air. General Fong raised his arms above his head, and a rock emerged from the earth and blocked the air. He lowered his arms, turned back around, and sunk Katara halfway into the earth.

"Katara!" Sokka and I cried.

"Please, don't do this!" Aang said.

"You could save her if you were in the Avatar State," General Fong said.

"I'm _trying_!"

"Try faster, Aang!" General Fong clenched his fingers, and only Katara's head was above ground.

" _Please_!"

"Time's up."

General Fong thrust his hand towards the ground. Aang lunged for Katara, but she disappeared under the rock. Aang lay on the ground. He pulled himself onto his hands and knees. Even from here, I could see him trembling.

His tattoos glowed, and he snapped his head around, a menacing scowl on his face. He stood up and slashed his arm. Air smacked into General Fong and knocked him to the ground. The air carried over and hit Sokka and I. The rocks pinning us to the wall crumbled to pieces, and we fell to our knees. We quickly climbed to our feet.

Aang rose in the air on a dusty tornado. He climbed higher and higher, until I couldn't see him through the whipping winds. He came back down and slammed into the earth. The earth uprooted and knocked soldiers left and right. A thick gust of wind and rocks rushed towards us. Sokka tackled me to the ground and shielded me. Pebbles pelted my face, and I winced.

All at once, the commotion ceased. We looked up and saw the dome of air around Aang dissipate. Aang fell to his hands and knees. Sokka and I stood. I looked around the base. The small stone buildings surrounding the main building were destroyed. There wasn't an inch of rock that wasn't left unscathed. We approached Aang. Katara, who had been released, beat us to him and knelt at his side.

"Fantastic. Wonderful!" General Fong said as he approached Aang. "Now, we need to figure out how you can control the Avatar State while you're in it."

"You're out of your mind," Aang said.

General Fong laughed. "No worries. We'll figure it out on our way to the Fire Lord."

"Ice," Sokka said, holding a hand out in front of me.

I pulled a stream of water from my water skin, hardened it, and placed it in Sokka's hand. He walked over, reeled his arm back, and smashed it into the back of General Fong's head. The general crumpled.

"Any questions?" Sokka said. The scattered soldiers shook their heads. Sokka handed me the ice back, and I returned it to my water skin. "Good."

A trio of soldiers approached us and bowed. "Do you still need an escort to Omashu?"

We glanced at one another. Katara folded her arms. "I think we'll be fine on our own."

"...Understandable."


	20. The Cave of Two Lovers

I folded my overcoat neatly and tucked it inside one of the bags hanging off Appa's saddle. Since arriving in the Earth Kingdom, I didn't have a need for heavy layers. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the letter. It had creased a little, and there was mud on it from our crazy adventure in General Fong's base. _If I learned anything from being a part of this group, carrying something like this on me would no doubt ruin it._ I tucked it inside the bag.

"Are you coming in, Ursa?" Aang called from the stream we were camped by. He, Katara, and Sokka had jumped in as soon as we landed.

"Um... I'll wade a little bit. I'm not much of a swimmer," I said.

"A waterbender who doesn't like swimming," Sokka said as he floated on a giant leaf. "All right, then. Don't keep us _wading_ for too long."

I rolled my eyes and took off my shoes and the sarashi around my legs. I set them down and stepped into the water. I shuddered from the chilly water lapping against my ankles. I walked until I was almost knee-deep.

A splash of water hit me, and I sputtered and brought my hands up.

"H-Hey!" I said. Aang giggled. With a mischievous smile, I swiped my hand into the water. A large wave emerged from the surface. Aang cried out as the wave knocked him under the surface. He sat up and spat out a mouthful of water. "Sorry, grasshopper. You still have a lot to learn before you're ready to face me."

"Is that a promise?" Aang said. He stood up and pointed a finger at me. "After I've mastered waterbending, we should have a duel."

"Huh? That doesn't seem fair. You're the Avatar!"

"And you're, uh... Ursa! Come on, Katara, make her do it!"

Katara folded her arms and looked to me. "I mean, I've always wanted to see the full extent of your waterbending. Consider it Aang's final waterbending test."

"I..." I sighed and nervously twirled a piece of hair hanging around my face. "F-Fine. I guess that will push me to improve my waterbending, too."

Music echoed over my shoulder. I turned and squinted down the path leading into a forest. The gradually grew louder, and a group of musicians and dancers approached us.

"He-ey, river people!" said the man with a pipa.

"We're not river people," Katara said.

"Oh. Then why are you in the river?"

"Uh... just practicing our waterbending."

"Waterbending? Cool."

Katara looked away with a bewildered expression.

"Who are you?" Sokka said. His giant leaf floated away down the stream.

"I'm Chong, and this is my wife, Lily," the man said. The woman with a large lily in her hair curtsied. "We're nomads. You know, going wherever the wind takes us and bringing our music along with us." Chong demonstrated by playing a riff on his pipa.

"Nomads?" Aang perked up. " _I'm_ a nomad, too!"

"Whoa! Did you guys hear that? The bald kid is a nomad!" Chong's wife and friends nodded. "What instrument do you play?"

"I... don't play an instrument."

"You don't?! No worries, little man, I'll teach you."

"Uh... Thanks... I'm Aang, and these are my friends: Katara, Ursa, and Sokka."

"I'm Chong."

I sighed and buried my face in my hands. _What weird people._

* * *

While my friends changed into their regular clothes, we listened to the nomads' many tales. That is, all of us except Sokka.

"These people are weirder than Aunt Wu and her villagers," Sokka mumbled.

"At least they tell interesting stories," I said. Chong was in the middle of recounting when he and his group encountered a giant nightcrawler.

"If you want, little arrowhead, we can take you and your friends to go see it," Chong said.

"Really? Cool!" Aang said.

"Oh, no. Not cool," Sokka spoke up. "We don't have time to take a detour. We need to get to Omashu, no ifs, ands, or buts."

"Sokka's right. We need to find King Bumi and have his teach Aang earthbending," Katara said while Lily wove flowers into her hair.

"Sounds like you're headed to Omashu," Chong said. Sokka facepalmed. "You know, there's a tale about a path you can take through the mountains. It's supposed to be a shortcut to Omashu."

"A shortcut? Can you tell us about it?" Aang said.

"Why _tell_ you about it, when I can _sing_ you about it?" I went cross-eyed from his sentence. Chong stood and strummed his pipa. Lily pulled her flute from the bag on her shoulder and began to play. Moku, who laid on the ground, kept the beat with his djembé.

" _Two lovers, forbidden from one another_

 _A war divides their people, and a mountain divides them apart._

 _Built a part to be together..._ "

Chong paused. "Uh... I forgot what comes after that, but the next part's my favorite." The dancers had leapt to their feet and begun dancing.

" _Secret tunnel!_

 _Secret tunnel!_

 _Through the mountains_

 _Secret, secret, secret, secret tunnel!_ "

I giggled and joined the applause. Sokka glared at Chong, unamused.

"No, thanks," Sokka said. "We'll stick with flying."

"Are you sure? The normal path is crawling with the Fire Nation," Chong said.

"We've dealt with the Fire Nation before, and we're still standing here today. We'll be fine."

"Um..." I said. "Maybe this shortcut would be smarter to take. After all, we're trying to get to Omashu to get away from the Fire Nation. Why would we charge towards them head-on?"

"But Appa hates going underground," Aang said.

"Believe me, I do, too. But we both also hate getting fireballed by the Fire Nation."

"Looks like it's settled! Come on, we'll take you to the entrance!" Chong and his friends climbed to their feet and started down the path.

"Great. Look what you've got us into," Sokka said. I sighed.

* * *

"So, can you tell us more about this secret tunnel?" Katara said.

"Oh, it's not just one tunnel. The lovers didn't want anyone to discover their secrets, so they built an entire labyrinth."

" _What_?!" Sokka said.

"No need to worry, Ponytail. We'll figure it out when we get there."

"According to the curse, all you need to do is trust in love," Lily said.

"Curse... Great..." Sokka said. We arrived at the entrance and gazed into the darkness. "And what, exactly, _is_ this 'curse'?"

"The curse says that only those who trust in love can make it through the caves. If you don't, you'll be trapped inside forever and probably die," Chong said. "Hey, I just remember the rest of that song!"

"We are _not_ going in there. We'll just tough things out and go around the Fire Nation."

"Hey, look!" Moku pointed towards a thick trail of smoke in the distance. "Someone made a big campfire. I could go for some roasted boar-q-pine right about now."

"The Fire Nation. They know we're here," I said. I looked to Sokka. "Looks like we don't have any other option."

Sokka sighed. "All right, cursed labyrinth it is."

I gazed into the darkness and took a deep, slow breath. We entered the cave. I glanced behind me, to the outside, and saw a small fleet of Fire Nation tanks approaching the entrance. My blood ran cold, but then I saw that they had stopped. I guess they know about the curse, too. Before I could relax, hooks launched from the fronts of the tanks, dug into the top of the entrance, and the tanks backed up. The cave rumbled, and the entrance closed quickly, shrouding us in darkness.

"Is everyone all right?" Sokka said. Chong lit a torch and gave us light. Appa groaned and pawed against the pile of rocks. "Well, it looks like we have no choice but to get through this place. I'll map out the paths so we don't get lost."

Sokka hopped onto Appa's saddle and rummaged through our things. I held my arms and focused on my breathing. Sokka grabbed a roll of paper and some charcoal.

"Follow me," he said.

We did, for about an hour. However, it resulted in countless dead ends and backtracking.

"Are you sure you're doing this map thing right?" Chong said at our tenth dead end.

"Of course I am!" Sokka said. "This... doesn't make sense. We've been down this path before."

"We don't need to worry about a map. We just need love."

Sokka ignored Chong as he paced around and studied his map. "Something weird is going on... I think the tunnels are changing."

The tunnels rumbled, and after things calmed, screeching echoed from down the path. We went silent and peered down the path. A wolfbat burst through the darkness. We leaped out of the way as the wolfbat swooped down, its fangs bared. It landed on the ground, turned around, and lunged at us. Sokka swung the torch around to ward it off.

"Sokka, watch where you swing that!" Katara cried.

Sokka swung again, and the torch slipped out of his hands. The torch landed on Appa's paw. Appa went into a rampage. He barreled through us and ran around the area, his startled cries filling the cave. The wolfbat scurried back into the darkness.

"Appa, calm down!" Aang cried.

Appa didn't listen. We jumped out of his way as he crashed into the walls. The walls cracks, and rocks fell from the ceiling.

"Run!" I cried.

I looked around and saw a path. I sprinted down it. The ground rumbled behind me, and the area went dark. The rumbling stopped, and I doubled over and panted.

"Are you guys okay?" I said. There was no response. I stood up straight. "Guys?"

The darkness around me felt empty. I pulled water from a water skin, covered my hand with it, and held it out. My hand glowed from the healing properties and dimly lit the area around me.

No one had followed me. I was alone.

My eyes widened. The walls around me felt like they were closing in. I stumbled into the wall and placed my free hand on it to steady myself. My breathing picked up. My heart pounded a dissonant beat, shaking my entire body. I squeezed my eyes shut.

 _Not now. Calm down, Ashe... Calm down... Breathe in... breathe out..._ I breathed full, slow breaths. _I can't sit here and expect someone to come find me. Sokka said the tunnels are changing. I have to keep moving. One step at a time._

I reached into my pocket and pulled out my headpiece. The light from the glowing water reflected off the headpiece.

 _Trust in love..._

I closed my fingers around it and held it against my heart. I looked forward, put on a determined face, and started to walk.

* * *

~TPPOV~

 _Zuko strolled through the palace gardens, his hands in his pockets. A pair of guards bowed to him; he nodded as he passed by._

 _Zuko heard giggling as he turned the corner. He saw Azula whispering with her friends, Ty Lee and Mai, by a fountain. He approached them._

 _"Azula," Zuko said. The girls went quiet and faced Zuko. He glanced between the three. "Wasn't Ashe with you guys?"_

 _Ty Lee glanced nervously between her friends. Mai remained stoic- it was the only expression she seemed to know._

 _"Oh, her?" Azula said. "We_ were _playing hide and seek... but then we got bored."_

 _"Bored...?" Zuko's eyes widened. "You left Ashe by herself?!"_

 _"I just couldn't find her."_

 _"You mean wouldn't."_

 _"Couldn't, wouldn't... whatever helps you sleep at night."_

 _"Where is she?" Azula smiled and folded her arms. Zuko shifted his gaze to Mai and Ty Lee. "Where is she?!"_

 _Ty Lee flinched and looked away. Mai sighed._

 _"She's in the bunker underneath the palace," she said._

 _Azula scoffed. "Tattletale." She looked at Zuko and smirked. "You better get going. I bet she's wondering where her knight in shining armor is right now. After all, it's been a few hours."_

 _Zuko clenched his fists, turned on his heel, and sprinted away. The guard he passed by earlier watched him curiously as he darted by. Zuko ran into his room and ripped the rug off his floor. Underneath was a trapdoor. He pulled it open and crawled down the ladder. He jumped off halfway down, and his feet hit the rock path._

 _"Ashe! Where are you?!"_

 _There was no response. Zuko looked down the path both ways, and decided to go right. His footsteps echoed down the hallway. Zuko came to a stop, doubled over, and panted. While he paused to catch his breath, he heard faint sniffling. He snapped his head up and started to run again._

 _"Ashe!"_

 _Ashe sat against the wall, curled in a tight ball. She was wheezing, and her fingers were tangled in her hair. Even from a distance, Zuko could see how violently she trembled. He fell to his knees at her side._

 _"Ashe, it's me, Zuko," he said. He rested a hand on her shoulder._

 _Ashe slowly looked up. Her cheeks were a different color than the rest of her face; her makeup had dribbled down her face and settled at her jaw. Her nose was runny, and her eyes were bloodshot and wild. They darted around Zuko's face as she gripped her surroundings. Slowly, her eyes softened. Her face scrunched up as tears overflowed. She grabbed Zuko's shirt and buried her face in his torso. She wept openly and loudly, her sobs shaking the walls and her body. Zuko rested one hand on her back and the other on the top of her head. He stroked her hair._

 _"I'm sorry I'm late."_

* * *

~ASHE~

A dot of light pierced through the darkness ahead. I gasped and broke into a run. The light grew bigger and brighter until it consumed my vision. The smell of the cave was behind me, and I looked out at the expansive view before me. I breathed a sigh of relief and inhaled the fresh air. I returned the water to my water skin and looked down at my headpiece. I smiled.

"Ursa!" I turned as a body collided with mine. Katara's arms squeezed my shoulders. "Thank goodness you're safe. I saw you run down a path when the ceiling collapsed."

I patted her back. "I'm glad you guys are okay, too." We pulled away. "How did you guys get out?"

"We did what the curse told us: we let love guide the way," Aang said. "You should have seen it. We came across this giant tomb where the two lovers rest. It turns out they're what inspired Omashu."

"Wow, I wish I was there to see it. I kind of just walked for a bit and found the exit."

"I guess you found the easy route," Katara said. She looked around. "Where's Sokka?"

On cue, the earth rumbled. The walls exploded, spewing rock over the edge and into the forest below. A thick cloud of dust rose, and when it subsided, we gaped at a pair of badgermoles. Sokka rode on the back of one, and Chong and his nomad friends rode on the other.

"Yup," I said. "Definitely had the easy route."

"Hey, guys!" Sokka called. He slid off and hurried to join us. "I found out why the caves are always changing."

"Hey, it's Master Arrowhead!" Chong said. He and his friends stumbled off the badgermole. They returned into the cave, and they sealed up the large holes.

"I'm so glad to be out of there," Sokka sighed.

"What's wrong with your forehead?" I said, eyeing the red circle on his forehead.

"Don't ask. I have a splitting headache."

"Are you guys coming to Omashu with us?" Aang said.

"Can't, little man. The wind is leading us down a different path," Chong said.

"Oh, okay. It was nice meeting you."

"You, too. Sorry I couldn't teach you how to play. Maybe next time."

"Yeah, sure... Take care!"

Chong and his nomad friends waved as they walked away. Chong strummed his pipa, and his friends joined in.

" _Even if you're lost,_

 _you can't lose the love because it's in your heart._

 _La la la la la..._ "

* * *

"Finally! Over the hill is our destination," Sokka said as we trudged up a barren hill. He was a few steps ahead of us "The journey was long and hard, and we had some pretty crazy adventures, but here it finally is: the city of O-!"

At the top of the hill, Sokka froze. Curious, we picked up the pace and joined him. We gasped.

Multiple stacks of smoke rose from different spots of the city, mixing with the clouds above and darkening them. A large statue was in-progress at the peak of the city. The city's stone wall was replaced with metal, and a large, red flag with the Fire Nation symbol was draped above the entrance, clearly visible from this distance.

"Oh, no."


	21. Return to Omashu

"I can't believe it," Aang said. "Up until now, I've always thought that Omashu was a place the Fire Nation couldn't touch."

"I guess we were wrong," Sokka said. "Now the only Earth Kingdom city still standing is Ba Sing Se."

Aang's fingers tightened around his staff. "I'm going in there."

"No, Aang, it's too dangerous," Katara said.

"Bumi is still there! I have to go and rescue him!"

"Are you sure about that, Aang?" I said. I gulped as I stared at the Fire Nation flag displayed above the entrance into Omashu.

Aang gazed at Omashu. "He's my friend. If he needs my help, then I'm going to do something."

"Then... how are we going to get inside? I don't think Bonzo Pippinpaddleopsicopolis III is going to work this time."

"Not to worry." Aang turned back to us with a smile. "The Fire Nation may have changed a lot of things about Omashu, but I doubt they changed the sewage system."

"I don't like where this is going," Sokka said.

"Climb on!"

We climbed on Appa's saddle, and he flew underneath the bridge. Sokka, Katara, and I put on our cloaks, climbed off, and stood in front of a large sewage grate. Aang hopped on top of it and pried it open with his staff. The smell gushed out, along with a flood of water, and we plugged our noses.

"Complain all you want, but this is the only secret way inside," Aang said.

"Lead the way," Sokka grumbled.

Aang hopped inside, and we followed. As we walked, the water level rose. Sokka tripped and fell face first into the water.

" _Ew_!" he screamed as he burst from the water. We shielded ourselves as the water splashed us. "Can we _please_ get some waterbending going on down here?!"

"I have an idea," I said. "On the count of three, jump as high as you can. One... two... three!"

As we all jumped, I thrust my hand towards the water. The water solidified into murky ice. We landed on the ice and stumbled a bit while trying to catch our balance.

"Now, let's hurry," I said. "I don't want to cause any problems for those with plumbing."

I stepped to the front with Aang, and we led the way. When we reached the end of my icebending, I froze the next stretch of path. We reached a manhole. Aang opened it with a burst of air and pushed it aside. We climbed out. I turned to the manhole, slowly lowered my hands, and breathed deeply. The ice melted back into water, and the sewage flowed once more.

"Have I ever said that I love your icebending?" Sokka said.

"Um... you have something on your neck," I said.

"Huh?" I pointed to a tiny purple pentapus latched on the side of his neck. Sokka screamed and tugged at the creature. "Get it off! Get it off!"

"Calm down, Sokka." Aang pulled Sokka's hand away and scratched the top of the pentapus's head. The pentapus lifted its tentacles, and Aang pulled it off. "Pentapi are completely harmless."

Sokka rubbed his neck where the pentapus was. The suction from its tentacles left red marks on his skin.

"Hey, you!" We froze and turned to a trio of Fire Nation soldiers as they approached us. Aang quickly hid behind us and put on a hat to hide his arrow tattoo. Katara pushed me behind her, too. "What are you kids doing out past curfew?"

"We got lost on the way home," Katara said. "It's just around the corner."

We turned and started to walk away. We glanced at each other, thankful the confrontation was over.

"Wait a minute," a soldier said. We stopped. "What's the matter with him?"

"I think he's talking about Sokka," Aang whispered.

Katara glanced at Sokka's neck, which still had marks from the pentapus. "Oh, him? He... he has pentapox, sir." Katara grabbed Sokka's shoulders and turned him around with her. The soldier stood in front of Sokka and peered at his neck. "Um... You shouldn't get too close. It's highly contagious... and deadly."

Katara shot a pointed glance at Sokka, and he demonstrated his 'sickness' by moaning and stumbling forward like a zombie. It worked, causing the Fire Nation soldiers to scurry away in fright.

"Well, what do you know," Aang petted the top of the pentapus's head that rested in his hand, "this little critter saved the day."

"We still have to find Bumi," Katara said. "Do you have any idea where he could be?"

"The Fire Nation knows he's a master earthbender, so they would place him where he's unable to do that... Metal would be the ideal place."

We climbed higher up Omashu, avoiding guards in the process. We walked through a level with scaffolding lining the walls. Patches of stone were wearing away behind the scaffolding. No doubt the Fire Nation would replace it with metal; after all, it would last a lot longer than stone.

Aang held his staff in front of us, stopping us in our stride. We stared at the back of his head in silence. The ground rumbled, and we looked around quickly for the source. We found it from a line of boulders rolling down one of the mail chutes in front of us. Aang held his staff with both hands, leaped forward, and swung. A gust of air burst from the tip of the staff and hit the rocks, smashing them to pieces and scattering dust.

"The Resistance!" a voice cried. We looked below and saw a small group of guards escorting two women, a mother and a daughter. They were probably the rocks' target. The mother held a small child in her arms.

"Catch them!"

The guards sprinted towards the ladders, as well as the daughter.

"Run!" I called.

I hurried to the ladder and pulled water from my water skins. I coated the ladder with water and froze it. The guards lost their gripping and fell to the ground. I peered over the edge. Something flew towards my face. I jerked my head back as a stiletto zoomed past my face. I stumbled as the girl leaped onto the level. She thrust her hand out, and arrows launched from within her sleeve. I swiped my hand diagonally. The water in the air froze in front of me and caught the arrows. I thrust my palm forward, and the ice flew towards her. The girl lunged out of the way.

In the quick pause of combat, I could study my opponent. She was my age, perhaps a bit younger, with pitch black hair and blank, tawny eyes. Her hair was divided in two long, low pigtails that fell over her shoulders and down her chest.

Her quiet disposition was eerily familiar, and as I continued to watch her, my eyes widened.

"Mai?" I said.

Mai's eyes narrowed. She studied me, trying to figure if she recognized me. A shuriken appeared in her hand. I gasped.

Aang appeared in front of me, and Mai threw the shuriken. Aang twirled his staff, and it caught the shuriken.

"Come on!" Aang grabbed my arm and dragged me down the path to Sokka and Katara. Mai followed closely behind. Aang plucked the shuriken from his staff, dropped it on the ground, and swung. The air hit the base of some scaffolding, and it collapsed in front of us and blocked Mai's path. Mai threw a series of stilettos.

The ground beneath us shifted, and we fell beneath the earth. The hole above us closed, preventing Mai from pursuing us. We hit the ground. We rubbed our sore heads and shoulders and looked up. We were surrounded by men dressed in matching uniforms.

A soldier with a thick, black beard stepped forward and examined us. His eyes stopped on Aang. "Are you the Avatar?" he said.

Aang stood, and we followed suit. "Y-Yes, I am. You must be the Resistance that lady from before mentioned."

The man bowed, and his fellow comrades copied. "Then you know what has happened to our city. We are glad you're here. Come with me."

The soldiers departed to tend to their duties, and we followed the man down the tunnel. I paused when I saw something glistening on the ground. I crouched and picked up Mai's shuriken. I turned it and examined it, careful not to cut myself. I tucked it in my pocket and jogged to catch up. The tunnel opened to a large room. Many citizens roamed the grounds.

"This is where we have been hiding from the Fire Nation," the man said.

"Is King Bumi with you?" Aang said.

His voice carried through the room, drawing attention from the citizens. The man scowled.

"No, he's not. It's because of him that we are here," he said.

"What do you mean?" Aang said.

"The day the Fire Nation invaded, we were prepared to fight, to die, to protect our city and each other. But before we could do anything, King Bumi surrendered."

"Surrendered? That can't be right..."

"When I asked him what we were going to do, he looked me in the eyes and said, 'Nothing. I'm going to do nothing.' And he _laughed_. Now, it doesn't matter. Fighting is our only option for freedom."

"No, it's not. You all have another option: you can leave Omashu. You can't fight the Fire Nation with the number there is now, you'll be overpowered. Leaving Omashu means living to fight another day."

The citizens mumbled in agreement with Aang. The man bowed his head and fought off his frustrated look.

"Fine. But how are we going to do it? We're talking about thousands of Omashu's citizens leaving."

Sokka's eyes lit up, and he snapped his fingers. "I have an idea!" he cried. We looked to him, and he grinned. "Have you ever heard of pentapox?"

"No..."

"Well, you're about to, because that's your ticket out of here. We're going to need a _lot_ of purple pentapi."

* * *

We gathered a barrel full of pentapi from the sewers and gathered the citizens. One by one, we placed pentapi on their arms, face, necks, etc., and 'infected' them with red suction marks.

We led the people to the gates. Aang stayed behind and searched the city for Bumi. Rumors of pentapox, thanks to our run-in with the soldiers last night, spread quickly through the city, striking fear in the Fire Nation. Instead of fighting us off, they drove us towards the gates, and we left successfully.

We camped in the valley outside of Omashu. Fires were lit to keep away the chilly night air. Aang returned with Flopsie, King Bumi's pet, at his side.

"I looked all over the city, and I still didn't find Bumi," Aang sighed.

Katara embraced the weary child. "Don't worry. I'm sure he's out there somewhere," she said.

"Maybe they moved him out of the city," Sokka said. Aang bowed his head.

"Excuse me," The resistance leader approached us, "we have a problem with our headcount."

"Did we forget someone?" I said.

The resistance leader shook his head. "No. We have an extra."

He pointed to Momo. A toddler clung to his neck and giggled gleefully. My eyes widened.

 _That's the child that was with Mai and the other lady._

We sat around the bonfire. The child sat in front of us and played with Sokka's club. Sokka took it away, and the child began to cry. Sokka sighed and gave it back. The child perked back up and teethed with it.

"What are we going to do with him?" Katara said.

"We'll return the child to his parents tomorrow morning," the resistance leader said. He eyed the child. "The sooner, the better."

"Aw, he's just a baby. How can you not look at this face and smile?"

"Sure, he's cute and happy now, but he'll grow up to be a Fire Nation monster... just like the rest of his people."

" _Not_ like that," I said. I turned my head away as the group looked at me. I ran my thumb over my headpiece and lowered my voice. "Don't generalize them. There are good Fire Nation people, too."

The resistance leader opened his mouth to argue, but the air filled with the shriek of a bird. A messenger hawk perched on a rock behind us. Aang climbed to his feet and took the message out from the small container strapped to the bird's back. The bird lifted its wings and flew back into the sky. Aang unrolled the letter.

"It's from the Fire Nation governor," Aang said. "He thinks we kidnapped his son. He wants to make a trade..." Aang's eyes widened. "His son for King Bumi."

"King Bumi? So, he _is_ still in the city," Katara said.

Aang rolled up the letter and looked to us. "We don't have a choice. This is our chance to get King Bumi back."

"It could be a trap," Sokka said.

"I don't think so. We know the governor wants his son back, and the governor knows we want King Bumi back. I don't think he would try and deceive us in something as important as this." Aang turned to the resistance leader. "We'll take the child back to Omashu and make the trade."

The resistance leader nodded. "I wish you luck, Avatar."

* * *

As morning peeked through the valley, we walked down the hill to where Appa rested. We climbed on, baby in hand, and flew to Omashu. Appa dropped us off at the peak of the city. Up close, I could see what's behind the large wall of scaffolding- a statue of Fire Lord Ozai. I exhaled sharply through my nostrils and faced forward. We waited silently.

Footsteps appeared, faint at first. Heads poked up from the staircase on the other side of the platform. Mai was in front, with two girls following close behind.

The one on the left had her long, brown hair tied back in a braided ponytail. She wore a pink top that left her midriff exposed, pink Capri pants, and pink shoes. She had big, brown eyes.

The one on the right had her hair up in a top knot, with some hair down and framing her face. She was dressed in Fire Nation armor.

I gasped audibly, attracting the attention of my friends. It was all they needed to hear to understand; I knew these girls.

Mai snapped her fingers, and a metal box lowered from a crane. A snort and a cackle escaped from the box.

"Hi, everybody!" Bumi called. His face poked through a hole. The rest of his body was trapped inside the metal box.

"You have my brother," Mai said.

"Of course. He's right here." Aang gestured to Sokka, who held the squirming baby. Sokka took a step forward.

"You know," said the girl on the right, "I just had a thought. Do you mind, Mai?"

"Of course not, Princess Azula," Mai said. A shudder crawled down my spine. "Please, go ahead."

"This trade doesn't seem very fair, now that I think about it. A bumbling toddler for a powerful, earthbending king? It's not right. You know what _really_ interests me?" Azula's piercing gaze landed on me. "Mai, Ty Lee, we have an old friend in our midst."

"Old friend? Really?" Ty Lee hovered a hand over her eyes and stood on her tip toes as she searched the area. "Where? I don't see them."

"Mai told me last night about her encounter with you, saying she ran into someone who knew her, but she didn't know them. Of course, that's because no one knew what you truly looked like... who the real you was under the mask you painted on every day," Azula said. She smirked. "Aren't you going to say anything... Ashe?"

"Ashe?" Aang said. He looked at me. "Is she... talking about you?"

I dared a look at my friends. Katara stepped forward.

"Her name is Ursa. You've got the wrong person," she said.

"Ursa?" A dark chuckle escaped Azula's lips. "I'm not surprised. She's spent her entire life lying to people, why would it be any different for you?"

I bowed my head and smirked. "It's nice to see you again, Azula," I said. "I may have changed, but it looks like you didn't. You're still a spoiled, narcissistic princess."

"That's not very nice. After all these years, we're just trying to catch up."

Mai stepped forward. "The deal's off." Mai waved her hand, and Bumi was carried away.

Aang gripped his staff and sprinted forward. Azula ran forward, too. With a scowl, I hurried after Aang. I swept my arm to my side, and Katara yelped behind me. The water within her water skin burst out and followed me. I brought out the water from my water skins. Aang leaped into the air, and Azula thrust her hands forward. I did, too. Blue fire burst from Azula's fingertips. The water I summoned rose like a tidal wave in front of Aang and caught the fire. A blast of steam covered the area. Most of the water vanished, and what was left, I returned to Katara.

The makeshift hat flew off Aang's head, revealing his arrow tattoo. The three girls watched in shock.

Azula looked at me. "As if you weren't a traitor already. Now you're traveling with the Avatar?" She smiled. "I wish Father had killed you before you escaped. Poor little Zuzu, he was so heartbroken when you disappeared."

I scowled. Behind Azula, Mai and Ty Lee ran towards Sokka and Katara.

"It didn't really matter, anyway. Right after you left, Zuko was banished from the Fire Nation. Of course, not before Father gave him a farewell gift. I'm sure you've seen it. The only way he can regain his honor is if he captures the Avatar."

"Regain his..." I said. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard! Why would he want to go back to you terrible people?!"

"Call us what you want, but we are his family. What kind of person would abandon his own blood?"

"You may be blood, but you are _not_ his family."

" _Incoming_!"

We looked up and saw Bumi's metal box falling towards us. We leaped in opposite directions as Aang, riding on top of the metal box, plowed through the ground, leaving a giant hole in the scaffolding. Azula flashed a smile and dove into the hole after Aang. I turned around to the battle behind me. Sokka had disappeared, leaving Katara to fight Mai and Ty Lee. Mai threw some stilettos, and Katara swiped her water and batted them aside. Ty Lee crept behind Katara and jabbed her shoulder and arm. The water in her control splashed to the ground. Katara tried to bend it again, but it didn't work.

"Not so tough without your bending," Mai said. She reached into her robe and pulled out a sai. Katara gasped.

I eyed the water under Mai's feet. I brought my arms up and clapped them over my head. The water lifted and clamped around her hand, encasing it in ice. The two girls looked around and glared at me. Ty Lee sprinted towards me. I swung my arms out and inward. The water slithered against the scaffolding like a snake and grabbed Ty Lee's feet. Ty Lee lurched as the water hardened to ice and kept her in place. She attempted to yank her feet out.

Something sliced my arm, and I cried out and clutched my bicep. I looked and saw blood coating my skin and fingers. A shuriken lay behind me. Mai broke the ice and stretched her cold fingers. Ty Lee pouted, as she was still stuck. Mai faced me and reeled back her hand, sai ready. I grit my teeth and raised my injured arm.

A boomerang soared through the sky and hit Mai's wrist. She dropped her sai with a hiss and clutched her wrist. I followed the boomerang back to Sokka, who rode on top of Appa. Appa landed in front of me. Katara sprinted around Mai and Ty Lee and to my side. Appa lifted his tail and struck it against the ground. A blast of air hit Ty Lee and Mai, and they flew off the scaffolding.

Katara helped me into Appa's saddle.

"Yip, yip!" Sokka cried, and Appa lifted into the sky again.

"Where's Aang?" Katara called.

"I see him! He's in the mail chute!" Sokka said. "Come on, Appa!"

Appa flew faster and followed the mail chute. We flew side by side with Aang as he rode on the metal box containing Bumi. Azula rode in a mail cart and inched closer.

"Hop on, Aang!" Sokka called.

Azula shot blue fireballs at us to try and keep us away. Aang swung his staff, and he and Bumi soared through the air. Katara and Sokka reached up, but the metal box flew over our heads. They disappeared below.

"Quick, follow him!" Katara said.

"Where did he go?!" Sokka said.

Momo flapped his wings and squawked.

"Momo, of course!" Katara said. "Lead the way!"

Momo jumped off the saddle and flew down. We followed him. We arrived at a section of stone and scaffolding. Appa floated next to it, and we peered inside. Aang stood alone, with Momo on his shoulder. He turned to us and smiled.

"Where did Bumi go?" Sokka said.

"...Back to his captors," Aang said as he walked over to us.

"What? How is he supposed to teach you earthbending?" Katara said.

"I... don't think Bumi is the earthbending teacher I'm looking for. At least, that's what he said." Aang hopped onto the saddle, and Sokka guided Appa away. His eyes widened at my arm. "What happened to you?"

I removed my hand, which was covered in blood. "I'm okay, really."

"Here, let me help you with that," Katara said. She picked up a canteen.

"Actually... I got this."

I lifted my blood-covered hand, and the water streamed out of the canteen. The water wrapped around my hand, mixing with the blood and making it glow red. My friends' eyes widened as I pressed the glowing water against my cut. I felt the skin close, and the pain stopped. I pulled my hand away, and the cut was healed.

"Um... I don't think we can drink this anymore." I lifted the bloody water. "Sorry."

"It's okay... um..." Katara said. "I, uh, can't believe that you can heal, too."

I tossed the water off Appa. "Yeah, it was a surprise to me, too, back when I found out."

"...So, you've... kept it a secret from us?"

I sobered as I sat straight. I looked at my friends; neither of them looked me in the eye. My eyes trembled, and I gulped. I turned my back to them and hugged my knees to my chest. I squeezed my eyes shut.

 _I can't hide it from them anymore._ My arms tightened around my legs. _I have to tell them._


	22. The Swamp

The sudden weight of Momo on my shoulder startled me. His tail wrapped around my neck, and he stared at me with his big, brown eyes. I gave him a small smile and petted his head. My expression fell blank as I returned my gaze to the scenery. My friends shifted behind me: Sokka sharpened his machete with a rock while Katara flipped through the waterbending scrolls Pakku gifted to Aang.

My body grew stiff from being in this position for so long. I felt like I hadn't moved since our departure from Omashu. I couldn't look at my friends; I didn't have the courage to. The chilly air bit at my ears.

"...Aang!" Sokka cried, making me jump. "Any reason why you want us to land here?"

I looked down at the large swamp below. Sure enough, we were slowly descending towards the swamp.

"Oh, uh, sorry..." Aang said. "Um... you might find this is weird, but I think the swamp is... calling to me. It wants us to land here."

"It doesn't look like there's a place for us _to_ land," Katara said.

"Bumi told me if I wanted to learn earthbending, I would have to wait and listen. Now that the earth is finally speaking to me, do you want me to ignore it?"

"Of course not. It's just... this swamp looks so creepy."

Aang sighed. "Fine, we'll keep going."

Aang snapped the reins, and Appa lifted back into the sky. As we flew, the air began to pick up. I held my ponytail as it whipped against my back. I looked in the direction of the wind.

"Uh... guys?" I said. My voice cracked from being used after a period of silence.

My friends turned, and we all saw the large tornado chasing after us.

"Step on it, Aang!" Sokka cried.

Aang urged Appa to fly faster, but the tornado quickly caught up. He tried to swerve out of its path, but no matter which direction we went, the tornado followed. I felt my butt lift off the ground, and I gasped and clutched the saddle. Aang jumped onto the saddle with us, thrust his arms out, and covered us in a ball of air. The tornado consumed us. Aang struggled to maintain the air, and we were flung off Appa's saddle. The tornado hurled us into the swamp.

We landed in cold, murky water. I sat up and gasped for breath. I stood and wrung my hair out. Aang landed softly in the water, thanks to his airbending, and looked around.

"Appa and Momo are gone..." he said. "I hope they're not too far. This swamp is huge."

"What about the tornado?" Katara said.

"I don't hear anything. I think it's gone."

"Well," Sokka brandished his machete, "we'd better find Appa and get out of here."

"Um... maybe we shouldn't disturb the swamp like that."

"'Disturb'? Since when was the swamp a person?"

"I don't know... There's something unusual about this place. I think we should be careful."

"Fine, then I'll be careful where I throw the vines I chop down."

Sokka turned and started to slice through a cluster of vines.

* * *

Night fell, and there was still no sign of Appa or Momo. We spent hours traversing the swamp, yet it didn't feel like we made any progress. We decided to set up a fire and camp for the night. One by one, my friends fell asleep. I picked up a stick and poked the dying fire. I glanced at my friends, their faces peaceful from sleep. I sighed and set the stick down.

Something wrapped around my wrist. I gasped and yanked my arm away. In the pale moonlight, I saw a vine wrapped tightly around my wrist. Another vine caught my other wrist, and a third wrapped around my waist. I looked to my friends and saw vines coiling around them, too. I started to scream, but a vine covered my mouth. My abrupt scream, thankfully, was enough to wake my friends up.

But as soon as they woke up, the vines tugged. We were whisked away in four different directions. My shoulders and back bounced against the ground as the vines dragged me. I lifted my legs and pounded them against the ground. The low-hanging fog froze into tiny drops and pelted me. The vines stopped. I looked up and saw them frozen in place.

 _Water..._ I tugged my arms, and the vines snapped. I pulled off the frozen vines and tossed them aside. _That makes this easier._

I stood up and yanked the vine around my waist off. More vines slithered towards me. I swung my arm to the side, and the vines swerved around me. I smiled to myself as my eyes followed the vines. However, I was quickly hit with resistance. The vines turned back around and flew towards me. I jumped to the side, thrust my arms out, and clenched my fingers. The vines froze midair.

I lost my balance and fell into the water. I climbed to my feet and ran. While I ran, the fog cleared. Sunlight trickled through tiny openings in the trees. I glanced over my shoulder. The vines didn't chase me anymore, so I slowed to a walk. I breathed deeply. I found a path of mud and walked down that. The mud squished beneath my feet.

Up ahead, a larger opening in the trees bathed a spot in sunlight. I walked into the spot and looked up. Shielding my eyes, I caught a glimpse of the sky. The gray clouds had left, and the sky above was blue.

"Ashe!" A chill crawled down my spine, and I whipped my head in the direction of the voice.

A young Zuko stood a few feet away, a smile on his face. He looked my way.

"Come on, hurry up!"

I took a step forward, but someone else ran past me... _me_. My childhood self giggled as she ran to Zuko's side. He reached out, and they held hands and ran ahead.

"H-Hey!" I called. I ran after them. They disappeared around a tree. I turned the corner and skidded to a stop. Zuko stood, his back to me. I gasped quietly. "Zuko?"

He turned and faced me. I stepped closer. I reached out to touch him.

" _Ursa_!" A pair of hands gripped my shoulders and shook me harshly. I shook my head and opened my eyes. Sokka now stood in front of me. "I called you, like, five times. Are you back on Earth?"

I looked around. All four of us were together again. The trees had opened up, letting more of the sky in. A gargantuan tree stood before us.

"Yeah... I'm fine," I said. "I thought I saw someone else here."

"You, too?" Aang said. "I guess we all saw something."

"Where are we?" Katara said.

"The heart of the swamp." Aang looked up at the tree. "It called us all here through those visions."

"Visions? That's ridiculous. I've said it once, and I'll say it again: there's nothing supernatural going on in this swamp," Sokka said. "Now that we're all back together, we can start looking for Appa again."

The water beside us burst like a geyser. A large monster made of vines loomed over us. We screamed and ran away: Katara and I ran right, Aang ran left, and Sokka ran north. The vine monster thrust its arm, and the vines lunged and grabbed Sokka. It tossed him to and fro. Aang sliced his arm, and a gust of wind chopped the monster's arm and released Sokka. Sokka chopped at the vines.

"Run, Sokka!" Katara cried.

"Just... a second!" Sokka said, stabbing a vine into the water.

"This way," I said, and I jumped into the water. Katara followed me, and we ran towards Sokka.

The vine monster loomed over Sokka, reeled its arm back, and reached to grab him. I leaped in front of Sokka, my feet spread far apart, and thrust my arms to the side. The vines split in half and went around us. I lifted my arms high above my head, curved them down to my side, and thrust them forward. The vines circled back and wrapped around the monster.

"The vines have water in them. We can take control of this guy if we work together," I said. Aang hopped to our side.

"What can I do?" Sokka said.

" _Nothing_. You've already upset the forest enough," Aang said. Sokka scowled.

The vine monster broke free of my waterbending. Katara and Aang stood on either side of me. The monster thrust both arms at us. Sokka yelped behind me. The three of us lifted our arms, and the vines stopped directly in front of us. The resistance was strong, but it was more bearable with help.

"Hold him there," I said.

Katara and Aang nodded. The vine monster trembled as it tried to take back control. I brought my hands to my mouth, palms facing outward, and inhaled deeply. I exhaled through my mouth and extended my arms out. Icy mist escaped through my lips. Slowly, the vines froze. The ice spread until every inch of the monster was covered with ice. With a cry, I karate-chopped my hands down. The ice, as well as the vine monster, shattered into pieces. We relaxed and stood straight. I rolled my shoulders back and caught my breath.

The pile of ice rumbled, and we readied ourselves once more. A man poked his head out the top.

"Hello," the man said.

" _You've_ been controlling this monster?" Aang said. "Did you call us here?"

"What do you mean, called you?" The man stood. He wore nothing but a diaper made of leaves.

"We were passing over this swamp, and it called us down here."

"He's the Avatar. Stuff like this happens a lot," Sokka said.

"The Avatar?" The man hopped off the pile of ice. "Please, come with me."

We glanced at one another and followed the man.

"My name is Hugh. I'm the protector of this swamp. I keep the plants and animals safe from those who wish to harm it... like your friend with the knife," the man said.

"I told you guys we had nothing to worry about. All of this trouble we went through was because of this guy. There's nothing mystical going on in this swamp."

Hugh led us back to the heart of the swamp. "Oh, but there is. It was here, under this banyan-grove tree, that I reached enlightenment. I heard it calling me, just like it did with you. This swamp is actually just this one tree that's spread out for miles. This entire place is just one, living organism, just like this entire world."

"Entire world? I'm not so sure about that," Aang said.

"Everything is connected, Avatar. If you stop and listen, you can hear every living thing breathing together. We are all growing and living together, even if some act like we don't."

"What about the visions we all had?" Katara said.

"In the swamp, we see visions of folks we've lost. But the swamp reminds us that they are still with us. We are still connected to them. Death, distance, or time may obstruct our path, but love is what will help us see the light, even in the darkest of trials."

I climbed to my feet. "Okay," I said. My friends turned to me. I clenched my trembling fingers. "I'll tell you. I... I'm finally ready to talk about it."

Hugh stood, bowed, and walked down the path to give us privacy. My heart quickened its pace as I looked my friends in the face.

"We're ready to listen," Katara said.

I took a deep breath, reached into my pocket, and pulled out my golden flame headpiece.

"I was taken in by the Fire Nation Royal Family. When I was a child, I was found by the Fire Princess and her son. I don't remember anything before then. They took me in and made me a member of their family. Princess Ursa had this made just for me," I said. "My real name is Ashe. She gave me that name. Ursa was the perfect mother: she was kind, caring, and understanding. Even though I was an outsider, she loved me like one of her own children. But then she disappeared, leaving us only with each other."

"Us...?" Aang said.

I shifted my weight between my feet. "Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation. He was- _is_ \- my best friend. Growing up, we were practically inseparable. He was all I knew." I held my hands tightly in front of me. "Fire Lord Ozai ordered to have me killed. In an instance, I lost my family and my best friend. If it wasn't for Iroh, I would've lost my life, too. He directed me to the Southern Water Tribe; he knew I would be safe with my people." I looked at Sokka and Katara and smiled. "He was right."

Katara jumped to her feet and threw her arms around me. I reeled back.

"I'm sorry you had to deal with that," she said. She pulled away and placed her hands on my shoulders. "I can't imagine how you must feel now, you know, with Zuko..."

I shook my head. "I'm not worried about Zuko," I said. "He may be in a bad place now, but I know he'll be okay. He's still my best friend, and I'll always believe in him."

Katara glanced over her should and at Sokka, matching his troubled expression. Aang stood.

"That's good. You should believe in the good in people. If no one did, then the world would've been lost long ago," he said.

I smiled and held my headpiece against my heart.

* * *

We found Appa and Momo, who had been captured by other swamp dwellers. Fortunately, they were good friends of Hugh.

"Thank goodness we're out of that place," Sokka said.

Katara rolled her eyes. "Of course _you_ would say that. We weren't the ones being targeted by a giant vine monster." Katara looked to me. "Hey, Ursa..."

I held up my hand, cutting her off. I looked at her and shook my head.

"Don't call me that. That's not my real name," I said. "Call me Ashe."

Katara perked up and smiled. "Of course. I think it suits you perfectly."

A huge weight had lifted off my shoulders, and I felt like I could breathe. I grinned and laughed.


	23. Avatar Day

I cracked open my eyes and sat up in my sleeping bag. The sun had begun to peek over the horizon, but the cluster of trees surrounding us blocked it. I yawned, stretched my arms, and started to lay back down.

That is, until Sokka's scream jumped me back up. He slept on a tree stump, and Momo was on his chest, gazing at him curiously.

"Momo, what the heck?!" Sokka said.

"What's the problem?" Aang said groggily.

"Momo just put his hand in my mouth!"

"It's probably because you slept with it open," Katara said. "It would help if you didn't sleep practically upside-down."

"He invaded my personal space!"

"And you can scold him later. Go back to sleep."

We laid back down in our sleeping bags. However, a few moments later, the ground rumbled loudly. We perked up once more as a group of komodo rhinos surrounded us. Their faces were covered with flame-shaped masks, and their riders wore Fire Nation armor.

"Give up! You're completely surrounded!" said one who stood on a rock above us while his comrades circled us. I guess he was the leader.

"Run!" Aang cried.

I threw off my sleeping bag and scrambled to my feet. One of the riders, a man with red paint over his eyes, nocked two arrows, aimed, and fired at me. I curved my arm diagonally, then forward. Water slithered in front of me like a snake and caught the arrows. I tucked my arm in and thrust my other hand out. The arrows turned around, launched out of the water, and back at the archer. He leaned to the side, and the arrows flew past his head. He scowled.

"Ursa- I mean, Ashe, come _on_!" Sokka cried from Appa's saddle. Katara and Aang climbed on, clutching items close to them.

I scooped up my water skins and sprinted to Appa's saddle.

"Go, go, go!" I cried.

Aang snapped the reins, and Appa began to lift off. Katara reached out her hand, and I leaped up and snagged it. I planted my feet against Appa's leg and scaled up to his saddle. I rolled inside and sat straight.

"Wait, my boomerang!" Sokka cried.

"It's too late, Sokka," Katara said.

"We stayed behind so you and Aang could get _your_ things!"

"Our things are a little more... important."

Sokka's shoulders slumped. "Boomerang was important, too."

We flew for about an hour before we stopped at a small vendor in the outskirts of a town. We hopped off to stretch and buy supplies.

"Sorry about your boomerang, Sokka," Aang said, a hat over his head to cover his tattoo. "You can always get another one."

"I don't want just any dumb boomerang, I want _my_ boomerang!" Sokka said. "You wouldn't say the same thing if _you_ lost something important to you. What if you lost your arrow, or Katara lost her... hairloops? Or if Ashe lost-" Sokka glanced at me before looking away. "Uh, never mind."

I raised an eyebrow. Katara returned to us with a chest full of supplies.

"Thank you for your business," the vendor said as he closed his shop. "Have a nice Avatar Day!"

Aang perked up. "Avatar Day?"

"The festival's about to start soon. You'd better hurry!" The vendor waved over his shoulder and headed down the path. A town parked by the edge of a cliff lay at the end.

We looked at Aang, his eyes twinkling.

"It... wouldn't hurt to go check it out," Aang said.

"Yeah, because we have _plenty_ of time for that," Sokka mumbled. Katara patted his shoulder.

* * *

In the center of the town, a choir of drums and woodwinds played. No matter where you were, you could hear it. Every resident was out of their houses, enjoying the food, souvenirs, and festivities. Sokka munched happily on a deep-fried biscuit.

"I can't believe there's a holiday honoring the Avatar and I didn't know," Aang said. "And I can't believe how involved everyone here is."

"Look!" Katara pointed ahead. At the end of the street, a tall parade float shaped like Avatar Kyoshi crawled down the path. Citizens gathered on the sidelines and watched the float pass by. We hurried to join the crowd and watched a float of Avatar Roku and Aang pass by. The three floats were brought to the town square, and we all gathered there.

"This is really cool," I said. I elbowed Aang. "Just don't let this go to your head."

"Of course not. That's not the Avatar way."

"You said the same thing back on Kyoshi Island."

Aang grimaced. "I've matured since then."

I chuckled. "Right."

We looked down the path and saw a man running with a torch.

"I wonder what he's going to do with that," Katara said. He continued to run, straight towards the Kyoshi float. "Um... what _is_ he doing?"

With a cry, the man lunged through Kyoshi's float. The fire from the torch caught onto the float, and in a few seconds, Kyoshi was consumed in flames.

The crowd surrounding us yelled, their arms flying in the air. "Down with the Avatar!" they chanted. The man lit Roku's float on fire. He stood in front of Aang float and threw the torch. The torch punctured through the float's eye. The crowd roared.

Katara disappeared from my side and ran onto the square. Two large urns of water were placed near the floats, in case the fire grew out of control. She lifted her arms, pulling the water from the urns, and doused the burning floats. The fire sizzled out quickly.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?!" a bystander near us cried.

Aang scowled and leaped onto the shoulder of his float. "What are _you_ all doing, burning my float?" He reached up and took off his hat.

The crowd gasped collectively and fell silent.

"It's you!" an older man dressed in dark green robes cried. "As mayor of this town, I order you to go away, Avatar! You are _not_ welcome here."

"Why not?" Katara said. "And why are you burning these Avatar floats? That's not how you honor them."

"Honor? Ha! We weren't honoring them!" The major shoved a finger in Aang's face as he hopped back down to our side. "It's the Avatar who destroyed everything we hold near and dear!"

"But I didn't do anything..." Aang said.

"Maybe not you now, but one of your past lives surely did. Avatar Kyoshi murdered our glorious leader, Chin the Great."

Aang's eyes widened. "Murdered?"

"Aang would never do something like that; no Avatar would!" Katara said.

"Give me a chance to clear my name."

The mayor held his hands together. "The only way to do that is with a trial."

"Perfect. I'll do a trial."

"That means you have to abide by _all_ our rules, including paying bail."

"Of course." Aang turned to Katara. "Do we have any money left?"

Katara reached into her pocket and pulled out a small bag of coins. Aang took it and started to pour coins into his hand.

"What is _that_?" the mayor said.

"Um... money?" Aang said.

"We use _Earth Kingdom_ money."

"Oh, um... we only have Water Tribe money."

The mayor scoffed. "Take him away!"

A pair of muscular men grabbed Aang. Katara, Sokka, and I glanced at one another and followed.

* * *

"Sorry, guys," Aang said within a prison cell. His head and hands were contained in a wooden stock. "I didn't mean to get us into this mess."

"No worries. All you need to do is give these bars a little airbending slice, and we'll be on our way in no time!" Sokka said.

"But I don't want to do that."

"Aang, we can't waste any time having you in prison. We haven't even found an earthbending teacher for you," Katara said.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" I said.

"I don't like that these people view the Avatar like this. If this is how I'll change their minds, then I'll gladly do it," Aang said. "If we want to get me out of here, then I'll need your help with solving this mystery."

"We're talking about a 300-year-old crime. How are we going to find the evidence for it?" Sokka said.

"That's what I'm trusting you with. I'm sure you can handle something as simple as this, right?"

Sokka scoffed. "Of course I can! In case you didn't know, I'm our tribe's best detective."

"Then I know I'm in good hands."

Sokka's posture straightened, and he turned to me and Katara. "All right, ladies. We've got a crime to solve!"

Sokka marched out of the jail.

"...Good luck," Aang chuckled.

Katara and I sighed, and we left the jail.

* * *

We asked Mayor Tong to take us to where the crime happened long ago. He brought us to a small temple next to the edge of a cliff.

"This temple was built to commemorate our great leader," Mayor Tong said. "It is here that Kyoshi murdered Chin the Great. Over here, you can see her footprint, which we have preserved for over three hundred years."

We circled around the temple and looked at the footprint. There was only one, right at the edge of the cliff, and it was rather small.

"It was at sunset, three hundred and seventy years ago today, that Avatar Kyoshi emerged from this temple and struck down Chin the Great. After his death, we built a statue to commemorate and honor him." Mayor Tong led us to a statue of Chin the Great, which was built in front of the temple. "I'll leave you to your... investigation."

Mayor Tong left, and Sokka examined the statue.

"Have you discovered anything, Detective Sokka?" Katara said.

"Hush! I'm working!" Sokka hissed. He looked at the statue through a magnifying glass. He scurried over to the temple and examined it, too. "This statue and the temple were cut from the same stone. And the mayor said the statue was built _after_ Chin's death."

"...So, if the temple and the statue were both built at the same time, that means Kyoshi never set foot in the temple," I said.

Sokka clamped my mouth shut and shushed harshly, spraying spit all over my face. I scrunched my face.

" _I'm_ the detective here, so _I_ get to solve the case!" Sokka said.

I pushed him away. "...Okay, fine. Anything to make sure that never happens again," I said, wiping my eyes. Katara offered me a handkerchief, and I wiped my face.

"We're going to need more than this, though," Katara said.

"You're right," Sokka said. He stroked his non-existent beard and snapped his fingers. "Assistants, follow me! We're going to Kyoshi Island!"

* * *

As we drew closer to Kyoshi Island, the residents quickly gathered in front of Kyoshi's statue, excited to see us once more. Appa landed, and we climbed off.

"Welcome! It is a pleasure to have you all visit once again," Oyaji said. He looked between us. "Where is Avatar Aang?"

"He couldn't come. That's actually why we came to visit," Katara said.

Upon hearing that, the disappointed villagers returned to their homes.

"Aang is in jail. The town of Chin arrested him because they think he murdered someone in a past life," Sokka said. "They say that past life was Kyoshi."

"What?! That's ludicrous!" Oyaji said. "Please, come with me. I'll take you to her shrine. Perhaps something there will help clear up this matter."

We followed Oyaji up the path, past the village, and to Kyoshi's shrine. It was a small shrine constructed out of wood. Inside were a few relics, including her clothes and fans.

"Clerics say these relics are still connected to Kyoshi's spirit," Oyaji said. "But please refrain from touching them."

"Her kimono is beautiful," Katara said. She crouched down and examined Kyoshi's boots. "These are giant boots. Her feet were really this big?"

"Indeed. Kyoshi had the biggest feet of any Avatar."

"But the footprint that Mayor Tong showed us at the crime scene is too small to be Kyoshi's. Which means-" I said. Sokka loomed over my shoulder. I sweatdropped and stepped away. "Um, detective..."

"Which means Kyoshi _isn't_ linked to the crime!" Sokka said. I chuckled while Katara rolled her eyes. He walked over to the painting on the opposite side of the room. "What's this?"

"This piece is called, 'The Birth of Kyoshi'. It was painted at sunrise on the day this island was founded, three hundred and seventy years ago today," Oyaji said.

"Interesting..." Sokka scanned the painting. "This painting doesn't take place at sunrise, it takes place at sun _set_." He shot a glare at me and Katara. We looked away. "Meaning Kyoshi wasn't even in Chin when the crime happened; she was here on Kyoshi Island!" Sokka smiled triumphantly. "Looks like we have all the evidence we need to prove Aang's innocence. We should head back to town and tell Aang and the mayor."

* * *

We _tried_ to give our evidence to Mayor Tong, but he refused to hear it. Apparently in Chin, the justice court is much different than any other place in the world: as the Mayor put it,

"I say what happens, and then you say what happens, and then _I_ decide who's right!"

The trial took place the next morning, in front of the temple. We informed Aang on the evidence we found the night before, but he only retained the general idea of the evidence, butchering it terribly. As a last resort, Katara dressed Aang in Kyoshi's clothing to try and trigger something.

It worked. Kyoshi appeared in Aang's place, but it didn't go as we expected. Kyoshi ended up confessing that she _did_ kill Chin the Great. Once Kyoshi disappeared and Aang returned, Mayor Tong declared him guilty.

"This is bad," I said as they wheeled in what Mayor Tong called, 'The Wheel of Punishment'. "We've got to do something."

"All we can hope is that the wheel lands on community service." Sokka bit his fingernails.

Aang spun the wheel, and it landed on boiled in oil. The citizens roared, making me jump. Midst the commotion, something flew over our heads and landed in front of the temple; a small, smoking sack. My eyes widened, and a second later, the sack exploded. The temple crumpled in a cloud of dust and rocks.

"This village is now under leadership of the Fire Lord!" a low voice growled. At the top of the stairs were the group of komodo rhinos that ambushed us earlier. "Where is your leader?!"

The citizens pointed their fingers at Mayor Tong. Mayor Tong yelped and jumped behind the Wheel of Punishment.

"New ruling!" Mayor Tong move the wheel over the community service spot. "The Avatar is ordered to get rid of those bad guys!"

Aang smiled and leaped out of Kyoshi's clothing. He charged towards one of the rhinos. Using Kyoshi's fans, Aang launched the rider into the air and over the edge of the cliff, into the water below.

The leader gritted his teeth. "Rough Rhinos, to the town!"

The Rough Rhinos turned and charged into the town. The four of us sprinted up the stairs. The archer nocked four flaming arrows and fired them at a building, catching them on fire. The leader thrust his fists out and spewed more flames. Citizens screamed and ran for safety.

"Aang, focus on putting out the fires. We'll handle the rhinos," Katara said. Aang nodded and leaped onto the rooftops. "Sokka will go left, I'll go right, and Ashe will go north. Ashe, we're counting on you to find the leader and take him down."

"Wait, why do _I_ have to take down the leader?" I said.

"Because you're the next best thing after Aang," Sokka said.

"I'd appreciate that compliment more if it wasn't said right before risking our lives."

"Then he'll worship you after we stop the Rough Rhinos!" Katara said. "Let's move!"

We ran down our directed paths. The northern path was long and empty. On the other sides of the street, I heard grunts and fighting. Halfway down the street, the Rough Rhino leader turned the corner. I skidded to a stop.

"I thought I recognized you," he said. He smirked. "Turning you _and_ the Avatar over to the Fire Lord will fetch me a hefty reward."

"Maybe," I said. I raised my hands, "if you can catch me."

The leader snapped the reins, and the komodo rhino charged. I sprinted forward. The leader thrust out his fist and launched a fireball. I dropped to my stomach, and the rhino safely ran over me. I climbed back to my feet. The leader yanked on the reins and turned his rhino around. We ran towards each other again.

I jumped. The leader summoned a fireball and hurled it at me. I landed on the komodo rhino's head and vaulted over the leader. The intense heat of the fireball hit my face as it passed. As I fell behind, I pulled the water from my water skins, reeled my arm back, clenched my fingers into a fist, and thrust it forward. The water hardened into a thick pillar of ice and slammed into the leader's back. He catapulted off the back of the komodo rhino and crashed into a nearby shopping stall. The stall collapsed on top of him.

I rolled to the ground and onto one knee. I pushed onto my feet, breathing heavily. The komodo rhino scurried away. I sighed.

"Nice job, Ashe." I flinched and whirled around. Aang was crouched on the roof of a stall, his face still covered in makeup.

"How long were you watching?" I said.

Aang stood straight and hopped to the ground. "Long enough to watch you take down that guy."

"You could have helped me."

"From the looks of it, you had everything under control."

I scowled and summoned the ice pillar back to my side. It thawed into water.

"Here, Aang, let me help you get that makeup off," I said with a mischievous grin.

Aang's eyes widened. "W-Wait a minute-!"

He didn't get many words in before I drenched him in water. Aang fell onto his butt and sputtered. His makeup dripped down his chin. He reached up and touched his clean face.

"Hey, that actually worked," Aang said.

I chuckled and returned the water back into my water skins. "Years of practice, my friend."


	24. The Blind Bandit

I sighed and folded my arms as Sokka hunched over a bag on display. Katara, knowing how indecisive Sokka gets when it comes to shopping, led Aang away to another shop.

"Sokka, are you going to get the bag or not?" I said.

Sokka rubbed his chin. "I mean, it's a nice bag..."

"Is that a yes?"

"...But it's so expensive..."

"Is that a _no_?"

Sokka continued to stare at the bag. "I know how to decide." Sokka fished out a copper piece. "Heads, I get it. Tails, I don't."

My posture straightened at the idea of this dilemma finally being over. Sokka tossed the coin in the air, caught it in his palm, and slapped it onto his arm. Removing his hand, the coin revealed to be heads.

"Great! So you'll be buying it," I said.

Sokka grimaced. "But..."

I tossed my head back and groaned. " _Sokka_."

"Okay, okay, I'll flip again. This time I mean it."

"Hey, guys," Aang said.

"Oh, thank goodness you're back," I said.

"Had enough shopping with Sokka?" Katara said. I hung my head and nodded. Katara chuckled and patted my shoulder.

"Look what I got." Aang held out a small flier that read, "Master Yu's Earthbending Academy". "There's an earthbending teacher here giving lessons. This coupon says the first lesson is free."

"Are you going to check it out?" Sokka said.

"Of course. Maybe this Master Yu is the earthbending teacher I've been looking for."

"That doesn't match up with what Bumi told you," I said.

"I'll never know if I don't find out for myself."

"Okay!" Sokka cried. "I'm going to get the bag."

"Great!" I grabbed the bag, shoved it in Sokka's arms, and pushed him into the store. "Let's buy it before you change your mind... again."

* * *

Katara, Sokka, and I waited outside the earthbending school while Aang had his lesson. The students filed out, each dressed in their earthbending uniforms. Aang stumbled out, covered in dust.

"He's definitely not my teacher," Aang said. He shook his head, and dirt rained from his hat.

Two earthbending academy students passed by us. "I'm rooting for The Boulder this year," one said.

"That newcomer?" the other said.

"Yeah, man. Have you seen him fight? He's seriously tough!"

"Well, he'll have to prove he's tougher than all his opponents if he wants to win Earth Rumble VI."

Aang perked up and jogged over to the teenagers. "Excuse me, but where is this Earth Rumble VI being held?"

"Why? Are you wanting to go?" Aang nodded enthusiastically. "Well, we don't want to tell you!"

The two teenagers walked away, laughing at their joke.

"That wasn't very nice." Aang's shoulders slumped.

"I'll handle this," Katara said. She hurried after the boys as they turned the corner.

"What was I thinking?" Sokka said, taking off his bag and dangling it in the air. "I don't need a new bag! Why did I even buy this?!"

I craned my head and glowered at Sokka. He cowered under my gaze, quickly slung the bag back over his shoulders, and grinned nervously. Katara jogged back to us.

"Good news! We're going to Earth Rumble VI!" she said.

"How did you get them to tell you where it is?" Aang said.

"Oh, you know," Katara tossed her braid, "nothing a little girl charm... and some ice... can't handle."

"You didn't," I said. Katara smiled, and we both laughed.

* * *

As we walked through the entrance to the underground stadium, a wave of noise hit us. The top half rows were completely packed.

"Let's sit over there," Aang said, pointing to the front row.

A large boulder smashed into the bleachers, right where Aang was pointing.

"Um... I mean, let's sit closer to the top."

"Good idea," Sokka said.

We sat down, and a man rose from the center of the arena. The host, Xin Fu, welcomed us and explained the rules. Katara, already having lost interest, focused on her nails.

The opening match was The Boulder, the man the two academy students spoke about earlier, versus The Hippo. The Boulder won within a few moves.

His next opponent was Fire Nation Man. Dressed in Fire Nation clothing, he entered waving a Fire Nation flag. I groaned and buried my face in my hands as the crowd booed. Sokka leaped to his feet.

" _Boo_!" he hissed.

"Sokka!" Katara said.

Sokka looked at me in my humiliation. He sat down. "Oh, right. Sorry."

"Please rise for Fire Nation national anthem," he said. "Fire Lord, my flame burns for thee-!"

The audience threw rocks at Fire Nation Man. While he was distracted, The Boulder quickly threw him out of the arena.

"Thank goodness that's over," I mumbled.

"Are you okay?" Aang chuckled.

"Yeah... but now I have the Fire Nation national anthem stuck in my head."

As the tournament continued, The Boulder rose up the ranks. All opponents, he defeated quickly. The more opponents The Boulder defeated, the more excited Sokka became. By the final match, he had turned into another screaming fan.

"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for," Xin Fu said. The stadium went dark, save for a single spotlight. "The Boulder versus our champion, the Blind Bandit!"

Inside the spotlight was a young girl, probably the same age as Aang. She stood with the champion belt lifted above her head and a cape draped around her shoulders. The crowd roared. Two assistants took the belt and the cape and walked out of the arena.

Katara leaned closer to try and see better. "She can't _really_ be blind, right?"

It was hard to see her clearly from this distance. She stood completely still.

"I... think she is," Aang said.

The Boulder and the Blind Bandit exchanged some banter. The Blind Bandit threw back her head and laughed, and Aang perked up in his seat. The match started, and in just under ten seconds, the Blind Bandit defeated The Boulder. The crowd cheered while Sokka wept like a baby.

"What just happened?" I said.

Aang smiled. "She waited... and she listened."

Xin Fu jumped from his post and onto the arena. "How about we make this tournament a little more interesting?" Xin Fu held up a full, green sack. "I'm offering up this sack of gold pieces to anyone who can defeat the Blind Bandit."

Aang leaped to his feet and hurried for the exit. Katara and I glanced at one another as Aang reappeared in the arena. Aang, being the pacifist that he is, tried to talk to the Blind Bandit. Not realizing this is a fighting tournament, the Blind Bandit ignored him and attacked. Using his airbending, Aang dodged the Blind Bandit's attacks and knocked her off the arena. At first, everyone was silent from shock. Then, the crowd leapt to their feet and cheered. The Blind Bandit stormed out of the arena.

* * *

"Don't worry, Aang," Katara said as we walked through the market the next day. Sokka, on the other hand, was too entranced by the sack of gold pieces in his bag and the champion belt around his waist, "we'll find the Blind Bandit. We just need to ask around. I'm sure there's someone who knows who she is."

"Let's go to the Earthbending Academy. Maybe she's a student there," I said.

We walked through the entrance of the Earthbending Academy. The two teenage students from yesterday pounded their hands into vases full of dirt. They stopped when they saw us approach.

"What do _you_ want?" one said. Katara shot a glare at him, and he quickly humbled himself.

"We're looking for the Blind Bandit. Do you know where she is?" Aang said.

"You're that kid who beat the Blind Bandit, right?" the other said. "Sorry, but we don't know anything about her."

"Really?" Katara said, stepping in front of us. The two boys yelped and hid behind their practice vases.

"Really! We're not lying! No one knows who the Blind Bandit is or where she's from."

Aang tapped his finger on his chin. "I had a vision of a girl in a white dress with a flying boar. Do you know anyone with that description?"

"Well, a flying boar is the symbol of the Beifong family. They're the richest family in town, but they don't have a daughter."

"It's still worth a try to check them out." Aang's grin had returned, and he hurried out of the Academy. "Let's go!"

* * *

"The flying boar, just like that guy said," Aang said. We peeked out from behind a large tree and at the mansion before us. Its land stretched on for miles, and it was surrounded by a gate. The gate had a gold flying boar on it. Aang eyed the two guards posted at the gate. "We'll have to find another way inside. Follow me."

We snuck around to the side of the wall. Seeing no guards, Aang turned to us.

"I'll create a wind current that will lift each of you to the top of this wall. Then you can jump down," Aang said. "A word of advice; make sure you bend your knees before landing."

Aang created a wind current. Sokka first stepped into the current. It started to lift him into the air, but it sputtered and tossed him over the wall. We heard a thud on the other side.

"Oops... Are you okay?" Aang called. We heard a groan over the wall, and Aang smiled. "He's fine. Next."

Katara and I glanced at one another. Katara stepped in next. The air current did what it was supposed to, and Katara landed on the top of the wall. She disappeared down the other side. Finally, I entered the wind current. It rose slowly like an elevator, and it stopped at the same level as the top of the wall. I stepped onto it. I crouched and jumped down. Katara grabbed my arm and helped me land safely. We walked over to Sokka, who lay on the ground. We offered our hands, and he took them and stood up. He rubbed the back of his head.

"That was not a lift," Sokka muttered.

"Sorry. Never really done it with anyone else before," Aang said as he catapulted over the wall and landed next to us.

We hurried to a nearby bush. We peeked out to check if any guards were nearby. While we did, the ground beneath us rumbled. The ground erupted, launching us into the air. I landed on my side in a bush.

"What are you doing here?" a voice said. I sat up and looked at the Blind Bandit, who stood over Aang as he lay in a bush. Her hair was neatly pulled back in a bun, and she wore a white dress.

Aang rolled out of the bush and stood up. "We've been looking for you."

"Why?"

"You see, I'm the Avatar, and I'm supposed to find an earthbending teacher. I was told to find someone who listens to the earth, and after watching you at Earth Rumble VI, I knew you were who I needed."

"Teacher? Thanks, but I'm not interested."

"But Aang needs an earthbending teacher so he can master all four elements and defeat the Fire Lord," Katara said.

"That's not my problem," the Blind Bandit said. "Now, leave, or I'll call the guards."

"We all have to do our part in the war, and yours is to help Aang master earthbending," Sokka said.

"I said _no_!" The Blind Bandit took a deep breath. "Guards, help me! Please!"

We sprang to our feet and sprinted away. Aang swept his arms up, and we were all thrown into the air. Aang landed on the roof of a nearby watch house. Katara, Sokka, and I, however, overshot and landed in a pile on the other side of the wall. Aang hopped down.

"Sorry... again," Aang said.

"You need to work on your landing skills," Sokka groaned from the bottom of the pile.

We untangled ourselves and stood. "Now what?" I said. "If we try and sneak in again, we might get caught."

Aang thought to himself and smiled. "Then we'll try a different way."

"Does it include me not getting a face full of dirt and grass?" Sokka said.

"Yes. Come on."

* * *

Sokka, Katara, and I shuffled behind Aang as we approached the guards at the gates.

"What do you want?" a guard said.

"I'm here to discuss something important with the Beifong family," Aang said.

"On what grounds?"

"I'm the Avatar."

The guards' eyes widened, and they looked at each other. They nodded and opened the gate doors.

"Why didn't we do this the first time?" Sokka whispered.

We entered the gardens again, this time legally. We walked to the front door. A servant opened the door and bowed to us. Rich, green carpet covered the floor, and the walls were decorated with art and candles. The servant excused himself to inform the Beifongs. He returned a few moments later and led us to the living room.

The living room was empty, save three chairs. The chairs were occupied by the Blind Bandit and her parents. Master Yu knelt in front of the family. The Blind Bandit glared in our direction, a nasty scowl etched on her face.

"Avatar." Mr. and Mrs. Beifong stood and bowed. "It is an honor to have you here. I am Lao, and this is my wife, Poppy, and my daughter, Toph. I am surprised that you visited on such short notice."

"Sorry about that. There's something I'd like to talk to you about," Aang said.

"Of course. How about we discuss it over dinner? We were just about to eat."

My stomach growled, and I clutched it. Aang glanced over his shoulder and at us.

"Sure."

A servant entered the room and guided us to the dining room. A large table was set with the perfect number of plates and utensils. Seasoned vegetables, rice, and meat decorated our plates. We sat down- me, Katara, Sokka, and Aang on one side of the table, Toph, Poppy, and Master Yu on the other, and Lao at the head- and started to eat.

"I must ask, Avatar," Lao said. "How long do you think this war will go on?"

"Well, I'd like to defeat the Fire Lord by the end of summer," Aang said. He looked at Toph. "The thing is, I'm looking for someone who can teach me earthbending."

"Master Yu is the best earthbending teacher in the land. He's been teaching Toph since she was little."

"Really? Then she must be pretty good at earthbending."

"Oh, no. Toph is still learning the basics," Lao said. "And, because of her blindness, I don't think she'll ever be able to become a true master."

We glanced at each other. "Maybe you should put some faith in Toph. I bet she's more capable than you think-"

Aang's chair was thrust into the table, and his face plunged into his bowl of soup. Aang pulled the bowl off his face and slammed it onto the table. He glared at Toph, who nonchalantly ate her dinner. A mischievous glint twinkled in his eye. He inhaled and let out a sneeze. A gust of wind blew the dishes off the table, splattering Master Yu, Poppy, and Toph with soup. A glob of soup fell off Toph's chin and into her lap. She stood up from her chair and slammed her hands on the table.

" _What_ is your problem?!" she cried.

" _My_ problem? What's _your_ problem?!" Aang said, standing from his chair.

Poppy cleared her throat. She unfolded the napkin at her side and dabbed her face. "Shall we move to the living room for desert?"

* * *

"You could have handled that better," I said as we sat in the guest room. Appa stood outside the window, and Aang reached out and pet his nose.

"None of that was _my_ fault. I'm the victim," Aang said.

A snort came from the doorway. We looked and saw Toph leaning against the frame. Aang cried out and struck a battle stance.

"Calm down, I'm not here to pick on you," Toph said. "I want to apologize for dinner. Why don't we call it a truce?"

Aang relaxed. "Okay. I'd still like to talk to you."

"Fine. Let's go to the gardens."

Aang waved to us, and he and Toph walked down the hall.

"Do you think Aang will convince her?" Sokka said.

"At this point, I don't think it's her he should worry about," Katara said. "From what I heard at dinner, even if Toph wants to come with us, convincing her parents is going to be impossible. They think, because she's blind, she's incapable of taking care of herself. I doubt they know about the Blind Bandit."

"If Toph shows them how good she is at earthbending, maybe that will get them to change their minds," I said.

"We don't know that. Parents are different when it comes to their children. It may make things worse."

"Well, we've got to try. We won't know unless we do."

Crashing and rumbling erupted from the gardens. Appa growled outside our window. We hurried to the window and looked around, but we didn't see anything. We ran out of the guest room and down the hall. Servants who also heard the commotion looked frantically at one another. At the front doors, we joined with Mr. and Mrs. Beifong.

"Did you hear that?" Lao said.

"It came from outside. Aang and Toph are out there," Katara said.

"What?!"

The doors opened, and we hurried outside. We ran around the gardens to the source of the noise. Two large, square holes indented the grass near the wall. Between the holes, a dagger pinned a scroll to the grass, the tip of the blade stabbed into the dirt. Sokka yanked the dagger from the ground, removed the scroll, and handed it to Katara. Katara opened the scroll.

"'If you want to see your daughter again, bring five hundred gold pieces to the arena. From Xin Fu and The Boulder.'" Katara read.

Poppy knelt at the two indentations. "My poor Toph. She must be so scared," she whispered.

Katara and I glanced at each other.

"Master Yu, I need your help in getting Toph back," Lao said.

"Of course," Master Yu said.

"We're going with you," Katara said. "They have Aang, too."

* * *

Lao gathered the five hundred gold pieces in a sack and handed it to Master Yu. Leaving Poppy behind, the five of us headed to the arena. The entrance was wide open. The silence was just as overwhelming, perhaps even more, than the chaotic screaming from Earth Rumble VI. Aang and Toph hung from two metal containers high above the arena. The Boulder and Xin Fu stood underneath the metal containers. We stepped onto the edge of the arena.

"Here's your money," Lao said.

Master Yu dropped the bag on the ground and stomped his foot. The bag slid over to Xin Fu. Xin Fu picked up the bag and peeked inside. Seeing the right amount and form of money, he waved his hand. Toph's container was lowered to the ground. The bottom opened, and Toph fell out. She scrambled to her feet and hurried to her father.

"Are you all right?" Lao said. Toph nodded. They and Master Yu turned and headed down the stairs.

"What about Aang?" Katara said.

"We have bigger plans for the Avatar." Xin Fu pulled out a 'Wanted' poster. "He'll fetch a much higher price from the Fire Lord. Now that we're done here, get out of my arena."

Katara and I hovered our hands over our water skins, and Sokka placed a hand on his club.

The arena rumbled. The earthbending contenders from Earth Rumble VI- The Hippo, Fire Nation Man, The Gopher, the Gecko, and the Headhunter- entered the ring and stood at Xin Fu's side.

"Don't do this, guys," Aang called from his container. "I'll be okay."

Swallowing our pride, we turned and climbed down the stairs. We ran to the exit. Lao, Toph, and Master Yu were halfway down the tunnel.

"Toph, we can't handle all these people by ourselves! We need you!" I called.

Lao stopped and scowled at us. "How could Toph possibly help you? She is blind, tiny, and frail, and she could never stand up to those people! She'll get hurt! She cannot-!"

Toph ripped her hand from her father's grip and turned to us. "Yes, I _can_."

Toph walked away from Lao and Master Yu and to our side. We climbed back up the stairs. The Earth Rumble VI contenders had Aang's container, and they headed for the second set of stairs on the opposite side of the ring. Toph pivoted her foot, and the earth in front of the group of men rose and blocked their path.

"Let him go. I've defeated you all before, and I can do it again!" Toph said.

"The Boulder does not like being sassed by the Blind Brat," The Boulder said. "The Boulder is going to teach you a few things!"

The Hippo tossed Aang's container to the side. The metal clanged and scrapped against the stone, and Aang grunted inside the container.

"You guys take care of Aang," Toph said. She glanced over her shoulder, and I could see the grin curling on her lips. "I'll handle these guys."

As the group of men charged, Toph stomped her feet into the ground and slowly lifted her arms, her fingers tense. The ground churned. She stomped her feet together and tucked her arms in. A cloud of dust and pebbles swept across the ring, shrouding it in a thick haze.

"Go!" Toph said, and she disappeared into the haze. Sokka, Katara, and I hurried around the outer edge of the ring to Aang's container. Sokka picked up a nearby rock and beat it against the lock.

"Hit it harder!" Aang said.

"What do you think I'm trying to do?!" Sokka cried. He slammed the rock against the lock, and it crumbled.

"Let me." I placed a hand on Sokka's shoulder and pulled him back. I pulled a portion of water from a water skin and drenched the lock, making sure to place most of it inside the lock. My fingers tensed, and the water hardened to ice. The lock cracked softly. I twisted my wrists and clenched my fists quickly, and the lock shattered. The hatch on the bottom opened, and Aang leaped out of the container. Katara rested a hand on his shoulder and pointed at the haze of dirt still clouding the ring.

The haze flattened, and the air cleared. The only one left in the ring besides us was Xin Fu. The rest of the contenders lay in a dazed pile on the ground floor. Xin Fu launched a barrage of rocks at Toph. Toph lifted her arms, and a rock tent covered her. The rocks bounced off the tent and flew off the ring. Toph lowered one side of the tent. Xin Fu twirled sideways in the air and dug his hand into the ground. A rock burst from the ground and hurtled towards Toph. Toph side-stepped, and the rock flew past her face. She faced forward and thrust her palm out. A wall of rock burst from the ground and traveled to Xin Fu. Unable to defend himself, since he was still in the air, the rocks slammed into him, and he flew out of the ring. He slammed against the bleachers, in between Lao and Master Yu, who watched the spectacle breathlessly, and joined the pile of defeated earthbenders below.

Toph turned to us and smiled. Her smile quickly faded when she looked over to where her father was.

"Well," she sighed, "I guess it was only a matter of time..."

* * *

My friends and I sat on one side of the living room while Lao and Poppy sat in their seats on the other. Toph stood before her parents, her head bowed. Two servants stood on either side of Lao and Poppy.

"Dad, I know you don't want to see me this way, but this is who I really am. I'm not your frail, helpless little girl- I never was. I didn't want to keep my earthbending skills a secret from you, but how could I tell you when you've never once attempted to see me as more than your blind daughter?" Toph said. "I know you've done this to protect me, but I don't need that any more. I can take care of myself, I've finally been able to make some friends, and I _love_ earthbending. This is who I really am, Dad. I hope you can understand."

"Of course I understand, Toph..." Lao said.

"R-Really?" Toph perked up.

"Yes. I understand now that I haven't been doing enough. Sneaking out at night to go to some... _fight_ club? I've allowed you too much freedom. From this moment forward, you will be guarded and watched over twenty-four hours a day."

"But, Dad-!"

"This is for your own good, Toph," Poppy said.

"I ask that you leave, Avatar. After what has happened tonight, I'm afraid you and your friends are no longer welcome here," Lao said.

A servant approached us, and we stood and let them escort us out.

"I'm sorry, Toph," Aang said.

"I'm sorry, too," Toph said. A tear rolled down her cheek. "Goodbye."

* * *

The moon hung low in the sky. In the next hour or two, the sky will start to change to day. Aang patted Appa's cheek and walked to the crest of the hill to look at the Beifong estate. Katara climbed off Appa and joined him.

"I guess we did make it worse," Sokka said.

Katara and Aang walked back over to Appa. I sighed. "Now what?"

I reached out a hand. Katara grabbed it and climbed into the saddle. Aang grabbed Appa's reins and prepared to climb on. He stopped, however, and turned.

"Toph!" he cried.

We looked and watched Toph run up the hill to greet us.

"My dad changed his mind. He said I can go with you," Toph said, her shoulders heaving.

"That's... that's great!" Sokka said. "Well, come on! Let's go before he changes his mind!"

Toph smiled. Katara and I held out our hands. Toph reached out and grabbed them.

"Is air travel the only way you guys get around?" Toph said as she sat in the saddle.

"Yup. You get used to it," Sokka said.

Aang snapped the reins, and Appa slapped his tail against the ground and lifted into the air. Toph held her hands behind her head and leaned against the saddle with a smile.


	25. Ashe Alone

I lifted my arms, and water rose from the stream. I slowly moved my arms downward and diagonally, and the water settled into a bucket. Once the bucket was full, I grabbed the handle with both hands and hoisted it. I kept the water from sloshing out of the bucket as it bounced against my legs. I carried the bucket to our campsite.

It was early in the morning, and the sky had begun to change from night to day. Everyone was still fast asleep. I lugged the bucket over to our makeshift fire and set it down. I rolled my shoulders and crouched in front of the small pile of firewood. I grabbed two stones and struck them. Sparks fell from the rocks and onto the wood, and it began to smoke. I set the stones aside and gently blew on the smoke. The small flame grew, and after a few minutes, the wood was ablaze.

I walked over to Appa and fished through the bags tied to his saddle. Appa groaned quietly as his eyes started to open. I pet his cheek and held a finger to my lips. He purred, and his eyes drooped close. I pulled a cooking pot from a bag, careful not to clang it against other objects, and brought it to the fire. I stabbed two long sticks from the pile of firewood over the fire, and I hung the cooking pot on them. I waterbended water from the bucket and filled the cooking pot.

I looked at the firewood pile and saw that it was growing small. I stood and headed into the forest. I walked along the right side of the path and peeked over the shrubbery. Twigs and sticks that I found, I picked up. Soon, I had a pile cradled in my arms. I turned on my heel and headed back to the campsite.

As I walked, I heard a quack within the trees. I stopped and listened. The quacks were harsh and loud compared to the quiet forest, and they came from off the path. I stepped over the bushes and followed the quacking. I came to a small pond with a family of turtle ducks. The babies chased each other around the pond. The mom quacked, and the babies hurried to her side.

I set the pile of sticks on the ground. I searched the area around me and found a bush of berries. I broke a bunch off a branch, and plucked them off the stems. I knelt next to my bundle of sticks and dipped my finger in the water. Ripples spread across the surface and caught attention of one of the baby turtle ducks. It swam over to my hand. I turned my hand over and offered a berry to the duck. It snatched the berry and gobbled it up. The other babies, seeing their sibling enjoying a berry, hurried over to have some. I cupped the rest of the berries in my hands and held them out to the berries. I smiled as the baby turtle ducks ate the berries, their bills occasionally nipping my palms and fingers.

I looked up at the mother duck, who stared at me. My smile softened.

* * *

 _"All right, Ashe,"_ _Ursa said as we stood in the gardens. She stood several feet away from me, with Zuko on the sidelines, "are you ready for your final walking test?"_

 _I straightened my posture and nodded. "I am!"_

 _Ursa smiled and held out her arms. I gulped and looked at the ground. Up until this point, I had to rely on either Ursa or Zuko to help me walk. I gathered enough strength to stand on my own, but walking was another thing. I felt like a toddler first learning to walk. My leg wobbled as I stretched it out and planted it against the ground in front of me. I pushed off my back leg. After a few steps, I looked up at Ursa and grinned._

 _My feet snagged on each other, and I tripped and fell. I winced as my hands scraped against the cobblestone._

 _"Are you okay?" Zuko called. He moved to help me._

 _I held my hand up and climbed onto my hands and knees. I planted a foot on the ground and pushed off my knees. As I stood, I stumbled backwards. I waved my arms and used the weak air current to regain my balance._

 _"Keep going, you're almost there," Ursa said._

 _My tumble had sent me back a few feet. I put on a determined face and continued to walk. My stride was inconsistent and heavy. Halfway there, I shifted into a jog, and then a run. At the last step, my foot snagged against a crack in the ground. Ursa reached out and caught me as I fell. She helped me stand._

 _"Ashe, you did it!" Zuko jogged over to us._

 _I looked at Zuko and Ursa and smiled. "I did! I did it! I can walk again!"_

 _Ursa embraced me. "I knew you could." She pulled away and smiled. "Why don't we take a walk around the gardens? Your legs can use the extra practice."_

 _I nodded quickly and waddled ahead. My foot caught on the ground, and I stumbled again. This time, I caught myself and stood straight. I turned back to Zuko and Ursa and flashed a smile and a thumbs-up. Zuko jogged to catch up, and we walked side-by-side with Ursa behind. I kept my eyes on the ground, and I held my arms out to the side for balance._

 _"You look like you're walking on a tightrope," Zuko said. I giggled and spun around on one foot._

 _We circled around the palace and saw Azula with Mai and Ty Lee. They stood underneath a large tree. Mai sat at the trunk. Azula performed a cartwheel, but as she landed, she lost her footing and fell on her butt. Ty Lee performed a series of cartwheels and landed in a tall pose. Azula scowled, stood up, and shoved Ty Lee to the ground._

 _"H-Hey!" Ty Lee cried. As we walked by, Mai perked up and watched us._

 _"Why don't you two go and play with them?" Ursa said._

 _"No way!" Zuko said. "I'd rather do anything else."_

 _"I think it's important that you play with people your age."_

 _"I play with Ashe."_

 _"It would be good to spend time with your sister."_

 _"Isn't it good enough that I live with her?"_

 _"Zuko..." Ursa shifted to her mom voice._

 _"Hey, Zuko," Azula said as she jogged over to us, "we need one more person for equal teams. Come join us."_

 _Zuko looked at Ursa and sighed. "Fine," he mumbled._

 _Ursa rested a hand on my shoulder. "I'll go on ahead. Stay here and watch, if you'd like."_

 _I nodded, and Ursa left. I joined the others and stood underneath the tree._

 _"Okay, Team 1 is me and Mai, and Team 2 is Zuko and Ty Lee," Azula said. She crouched, picked up an apple that had fallen from the tree, and placed it on Mai's head. "One teammate stands with the apple on their head, and the other has to try and knock it off."_

 _The corners of Azula's lips twitched, and she thrust two fingers at Mai. A small stream of fire burst from her fingertips, and it landed on the apple, lighting the stem on fire._

 _"Look out!" Zuko sprinted towards Mai. He tripped and crashed into Mai, and the two fell into the fountain behind them. I covered my mouth with my hands. Azula and Ty Lee burst into laughter._

 _I hurried past them and stood over the fountain. "A-Are you okay?"_

 _Zuko trudged out of the fountain. "Let's go," he mumbled. His shoes sloshed against the grass and stone, and he left a trail of footprints behind him. I looked back at Azula, who glared at me, and hurried after Zuko._

 _Ursa entered the gardens again, a scroll in her hand. "Why are you soaking wet?"_

 _"Don't ask!" Zuko growled as he passed._

 _"What's that?" I asked._

 _"It's a letter from Iroh. I came to get you so we could read it together," Ursa said._

 _"Is he still at Ba Sing Se?" Ursa nodded. "When do you think he'll come home?"_

 _"At this point, I'm not sure. He's very determined to break through that wall and conquer the city."_

 _"Why would he want to do that?"_

 _"You'll have to ask him when you see him again. Come along, now." Ursa looked at Azula. "It's time for Mai and Ty Lee to go home, Azula. We have a letter from Uncle Iroh."_

 _Azula rolled her eyes and turned back to her friends. Ursa led me inside. Zuko joined us again in a new change of clothes and a towel around his shoulders. The three of us gathered around Ursa as she read Iroh's letter._

 _"Dear family," Ursa read, "with each day that goes by, I can feel the foundations of Ba Sing Se crumbling. If the city is as magnificent as its wall, Ba Sing Se must be something to behold. I hope you all may see it someday... if we don't burn it to the ground first. Until then, enjoy these gifts..."_

 _A trio of servants stood on the sidelines, waiting for them moment to come in. Each held a cushioned tray with an item for each of us._

 _"For Zuko, a pearl dagger from the general who surrendered when we broke through the outer wall. Note the engraving and the superior craftsmanship. For Azula, a new friend. She wears the latest fashion for Earth Kingdom girls."_

 _Zuko gazed at the dagger with shimmering eyes while Azula held her doll out like a baby with a dirty diaper._

 _"And finally, for Ashe." I hurried over to the last tray and took the item. The servants bowed and left the room. "I found this handkerchief in one of the villages we conquered on our way to Ba Sing Se. I hope it is something you find comforting."_

 _The handkerchief was a mixture of white, light blue, and dark blue. The symbol of the Water Tribe was stitched with black thread in the center. I smiled and held the handkerchief against my heart._

 _"I love it!" I cried. I held it out. "Look, Zuko."_

 _"Neat! Check out this dagger." Zuko pulled off the black sheath, and I gazed at the pearl blade._

 _"What does the engraving say?"_

 _"Never give up without a fight."_

 _"Oooh." I walked over to Azula and looked at her doll. "Your doll's really cute."_

 _Azula scoffed, and I shrunk back. "You know, I've been wondering," Azula said. "If Uncle Iroh doesn't make it back from war, that means Dad will become the next Fire Lord, right?"_

 _Ursa scowled. "Azula, don't speak like that. It would be awful if Uncle Iroh didn't return."_

 _"Yeah, but I think that Dad would become a much better Fire Lord than our joke of an uncle." Azula dropped her doll, which she had burnt to a crisp, and left the room._

* * *

Once the turtle ducks finished the berries, I dipped my hands in the water to clean off the juices, wiped them on my pants, and stood. The mother duck quacked, and her babies swam back to her side. I gathered the sticks and headed back to the forest path.

* * *

 _I stretched my arms to the side as I balanced on the fountain ledge. I placed one foot directly in front of the other, leaning side to side as gravity tried to throw me off._

 _"You're going to get dizzy from walking in circles," Ursa said. "I don't want you to fall in."_

 _"I won't," I said. "I've been getting better at walking. This is easy!"_

 _Zuko and Azula ran past, and I almost lost my balance. I caught it and smiled at Ursa. A servant approached Ursa, handed her a scroll, bowed, and left. Ursa opened the scroll and read it. Her face fell as she read it, and she lowered the scroll into her lap. Her eyes watered, and a tear rolled down her cheek. I stopped and stepped off the fountain ledge. Ursa stood._

 _"Your cousin, Lu Ten, has died," Ursa said to Zuko and Azula._

 _My eyes widened. I was never able to meet Lu Ten, since he had already left for the war when I started living at the palace. I bowed my head and held my hands together._

* * *

 _I wrapped an arm around a pillar and circled around it. Zuko swung his dagger around, pretending to be in battle._

 _"Guess what?" Azula said as she entered the room. "Uncle Iroh's coming home."_

 _"Really? Does that mean they won?" Zuko said._

 _"No. It means he's a quitter. Some general he is. One mishap and he comes home with his tail between his legs."_

 _"It's not just some mishap. His only kid is gone! He must be devastated."_

 _Ursa entered the room. "Your father requested an audience with Fire Lord Azulon," she said. "Hurry, now."_

 _Zuko and Azula hurried past Ursa. She turned to me and smiled._

 _"Wait here until we're done, all right?" she said. I nodded, and Ursa left._

 _I leaned against the pillar. It always made me nervous whenever anything involving Ozai happened. I haven't even seen his face yet, but he always put me on edge._

 _After a few minutes, I peeked my head into the hallway and, seeing no one was there, I scurried down the hallway and towards the Fire Lord's throne room. I snuck through the curtains and took an immediate left._

 _"Why are you wasting my time with this nonsense? If you want to tell me something, just do it! Everyone but Ozai, leave!" Azulon said._

 _Footsteps approached, and I watched Ursa leave the room. Azula and Zuko, however, didn't follow._

 _"Now, what is it that you want?" Azulon said._

 _I pulled open the curtains enough to peek through. Ozai knelt before Azulon. Fire lined the throne area in front of and behind Azulon._

 _"Father," Ozai said as he bowed to the floor, "you must have realized that Iroh's bloodline ended with the death of Lu Ten."_

 _"Spit it out," Azulon said._

 _"Give me Iroh's birthright, and let me become the next Fire Lord. I will rule the Fire Nation how you desire me to."_

 _Azulon stood. "You want me to betray Iroh? To throw him away after the demise of his son?!"_

 _The fire grew bigger with his anger. My eyes widened._

 _"Forgive me, Father, for I have offended you," Ozai said._

 _"You do not get to speak on behalf of his suffering when you have not experienced it..._ yet _! Your punishment must fit your crime. You must know the pain of losing your first-born son... by sacrificing your own!"_

 _"...As you wish, Father."_

 _My eyes widened, and I stumbled away from the curtain. My back hit the wall, and I clutched my chest. I slid down to the ground and struggled to breathe. Footsteps passed through the exit, but I didn't look to see who it was._

 _I leaped to my feet and sprinted out of the throne room. I hurried through the hallways, plowing through servants. I didn't have time to react as a foot appeared in my view. My stride came to a screeching halt. I grunted as I slammed against the ground. I rolled over and sat up. Azula stood over me, her arms folded._

 _"Why'd you do that?" I said._

 _"You heard what my grandpa said, didn't you?" Azula said. My eyes widened. "I feel bad for Zuko. I tried to warn him, but he didn't believe me."_

 _"Of course, he didn't. What have you ever done that would make you trustworthy?"_

 _"I don't know who I feel sorrier for- my brother or you. I mean, if my father does sacrifice Zuko, what's going to happen to you? If he's capable of killing his own son, he should have no problem killing a rat that's snuck into the palace."_

 _"Ursa... Ursa would never let anything like that happen!"_

 _"Yeah, to her_ children _. Last time I checked, you're not her child. You never were." Azula crouched down and picked up my handkerchief, which had fallen from my pocket._

 _"H-Hey! Give that back!" I scrambled to my feet and lunged at Azula. She side-stepped and held my handkerchief away. "I'm just as much a daughter to Ursa as you are!"_

 _Azula's eyes hardened. She clutched my handkerchief tightly in her fingers, and it burst into flames._

 _"No!" I cried. Azula sprinkled the ashes of my handkerchief onto the ground. I fell to my knees and hung over it. Tears pricked my eyes._

 _"That was your warning," Azula said, her back turned to me. "Get on my bad side again, and I'll tell my father who you really are."_

 _Azula's footsteps faded down the hall._

* * *

I held the bundle of sticks tighter against my body. It was a few days after that incident that Fire Princess Ursa disappeared. To this day, I still don't know why she left, if she's even alive, and if she is, where she is now.

 _"No matter how things may seem to change, never forget who you truly are."_

Her final words to me were one of the many things I've thought about, especially recently. I wished I could see her again. I want to tell her of all the adventures I've been on with my friends. I want to tell her that Zuko is okay. I want to tell her that _I'm_ okay.

I shifted the sticks, and I winced as a sharp pain ignited in my index finger. I lifted my hand and looked at my finger. A splinter was wedge in my finger. A tiny droplet of blood oozed out the bottom. I pinched the splinter between my nails, took a deep breath, and ripped it out. I hissed and put my finger in my mouth.

* * *

 _I wrung my hands together as I eyed every person that entered the Fire Lord's war room. I snapped to attention every time I heard footsteps approaching._

 _I heard running coming my way, and I looked up. Zuko hurried down the hallway._

 _"Zuko," I said, "are you going to try and go in there?"_

 _"I'd like to," Zuko said. He eyed the soldiers standing near the curtains leading inside the war room, "that is, if they let me."_

 _"Why don't you do something else instead? We can go into the town..."_

 _"I'm sorry, Ashe, but I really want to join them. If I'm going to become Fire Lord some day, I need to know of the duties I'll have to carry out. The sooner I start, the better."_

 _I held my hands tightly and stared at them. My fingers relaxed, and I looked at Zuko again and smiled._

 _"Okay. Just... be careful, please," I said._

 _Zuko smiled. "Thanks. I'll see you later."_

 _Zuko ran past me. I turned around and watched him disappear into the war room. I bowed my head and walked down the hallway. I pushed open the door to my bedroom and flopped onto my bed. I rolled over and stared at the canopy hanging over me. I closed my eyes and rested my arm over my face._

 _When I came to a bit later, all I heard was commotion. My eyes snapped open, and I sat up. I hurried out of my room, and a group of servants scurried past me._

 _"What's happening?" I said._

 _The servants stopped and faced me. "Apparently, Prince Zuko and the Fire Lord are about to face each other in an Agni Kai."_

 _My eyes widened. "What...?"_

 _"I heard the Prince spoke out during the war meeting. I can't believe he would do something so crazy-"_

 _I turned on my heel and sprinted down the hall. I skidded around the corner and came to a stop. Azula leaned against a pillar with her arms folded. She looked at me and smirked. I scowled and ran past her._

 _"You know," she said, and I stopped again, "I never needed to tell Father..." Azula stood straight and walked past me. She looked over her shoulder and smiled. "He already knows."_

 _My eyes widened. Azula faced forward and walked away. I stared at her back with trembling eyes. I remained still until she turned the corner. I blinked several times and started to run again._

 _I watched a trickle of people enter the battle arena, Azula one of the last of them. I pushed myself to run faster. The doors started to close._

 _"Wait!" I cried. I saw Zuko kneeling within the arena. "_ Zuko _!"_

 _Zuko looked up right as the door closed. I slammed into the door._

 _"No, no, no!" I clenched my fists and pounded them into the door. "Let me in!_ Let me in _!"_

 _Something stabbed into my hands, and I cried out. Splinters embedded my skin. I grit my teeth and continued to beat the door. Pain consumed my hands as more splinters dug into my skin, covering my fingers and knuckles._

 _A scream- loud, piercing, and painful- erupted on the other side of the door. My hands trembled violently as I stared at the door with wide eyes. I frantically looked down around. I pushed off the door and ran._

 _Between the splinters wedges in my knuckles and fingers, tiny drops of blood squeezed their way out to the surface.  
_

* * *

I returned to the campsite. I pulled my finger out of my mouth and hovered it in front of my face. I tilted my head as I looked at the saliva coating my finger. It started to glow blue, and I watched my finger heal. I smiled and wiped my finger on my pants.

I set the bundle of sticks next to the fire and hovered over the water. It had started boiling while I was away. I went back to Appa and climbed into his saddle. I rummaged through our food and pulled out ingredients. I hopped down and walked over to Sokka's sleeping bag. I waited for him to roll over before slowly sliding his machete from its sheath. I crouched at the pot, chopped the ingredients into small pieces, and tossed them in. I poured broth in, and the water changed from clear to cream. I waved my arms above the pot and stirred the soup. I relaxed, stood up, and wiped my forehead.

The sky lightened. I faced the sunrise. A light breeze swept through the trees, and I tucked some hair behind my ear. I smiled to myself.

My friends groaned quietly as they started to wake up. They sat up in their sleeping bags and rubbed their tired eyes.

"Good morning!" I said with a smile. "Breakfast is ready."


	26. The Chase

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

 **Just a friendly reminder: if you have any ideas or suggestions for From the Ashes, feel free to pitch them to me via comments. If I decide to use it, you'll be credited in a 'special thanks' at the end of the story.**

 **Happy reading!**

* * *

Upon landing, a shower of Appa's fur rained from his legs and piled on the ground below. Toph hopped off.

"This is the softest grass I've ever felt," Toph said.

"Uh... that's not grass," Sokka said. "That's Appa's fur."

"It's nothing to get grossed out over. Appa always gets a new coat every year. It's just a part of the welcoming of spring," Aang said.

"Ah, yes. Nothing welcomes spring more than eight tons of air bison fur," Katara said.

"Aw, come on, Katara, lighten up," Sokka said. "Think of all the creative things you can do with Appa's fur!" Sokka gathered an armful of fur and fit it on his head. "Like a cool wig!"

"Or facial hair." Aang climbed off Appa wearing a beard of his fur. The two boys laughed at their silly hair.

"That's disgusting," Katara mumbled. She sighed and folded her arms. "I'm glad there are more girls than guys on the team now. Now we outweigh your childish behavior."

"Hey, guys, I've got an even better idea!" Toph said. She raised her arms, revealing bushels of Appa's fur stuffed in her sleeves. "Anybody got a razor?"

The three doubled over laughing. I covered my mouth and giggled. I glanced at Katara, who still wore a straight face.

"Oh, come on, laugh a little," I said.

Katara rolled her eyes, but the smile twitching on her face was a dead giveaway. She glanced at the sky.

"We should start setting up camp. It'll be dark soon," she said.

"Yes, ma'am," Sokka and Aang said.

We formed a line leading up to Appa's saddle. Sokka grabbed our camping gear and passed to Aang, who passed it to me and Katara. Once everything was off the saddle, we worked on setting up camp. Aang stomped his foot, and air filled the deconstructed tent next to him. It popped upright, and Aang smiled triumphantly. Sokka untied and unrolled the sleeping bags. I retrieved firewood from the nearby forest, and I used it to make and start a fire. Katara prepared dinner.

Toph, on the other hand, rested against a pile of rocks. She twirled a piece of barley between her teeth.

"Um, Toph..." Katara said. "I know you've only been traveling with us for a short time, but we all have to contribute our part when we set up and clean."

"And you're all doing a great job. However, I'm all good to go," Toph said.

"...Really?"

"Yes, Katara. Look, I've already got my own food stash, I don't need a fire, and I got my tent taken care of." Toph sat up and thrust her arms diagonally. Two slabs of rock met in a teepee above Toph's head. "See? I can take care of myself."

"Well, that's great for _you_ , but _we_ could use some help-"

"I don't see what the problem is. Are we done here?"

Katara sighed, turned on her heel, and joined us.

"It's all right, Katara," Aang said. "I'm sure as we spend more time together, Toph will help out more."

"We can't afford to wait until she decides to help us," Katara said. "More people means more work, and it's frustrating when others don't do their part."

We finished setting up camp. The entire time, Katara kept glancing over at Toph, who sat underneath her makeshift rock tent.

"I'm going to try and talk to her again," Katara said.

"I think you should just let her be..." Aang said.

"I'll at least apologize."

Katara approached Toph again. Aang, Sokka, and I looked among each other.

"I'm calling it right now, they're going to get into a fight," Sokka said.

"Don't say that..." Aang said.

"Who do you think will apologize first? I'm betting Katara."

"Sokka!"

"What? I've known Katara her whole life. She does these things."

"You know," I said, "I think now would be a good time to go to bed. We don't need any more feuds than what's happening now."

Their weariness agreed. Katara returned, looking even more annoyed. We settled in our beds- Aang nestled in Appa's fur, Katara and I sharing a tent, and Sokka in his own tent- and fell asleep.

The crash of rocks jolted us awake. Katara and I peeked out our tent door. Toph had crawled out of her rock tent and hurried towards us.

"There's something coming!" she cried. She knelt and pressed her hand into the ground. "I... can't tell what it is, though..."

"Should we leave?" I said.

"Yeah," Aang said. "If Toph can't even figure out what it is, I'd rather we not risk it finding us."

We quickly gathered our things and climbed onto Appa's back. Aang snapped the reins, and Appa lazily lifted his tail and rose into the air. We peered over the trees.

"What... _is_ that?" Katara said.

Behind us, there was a thick cloud of smoke. The cloud belonged to a strange, metal machine that rode towards us.

"No idea..." Aang said. "Best keep our distance."

We flew into a valley and landed. Toph leaped off Appa and sighed.

"Well, I'll see you guys in the morning," she said.

"Actually, Toph," Katara said, "could you help us unload?"

"You mean you want me to help unload all of Sokka's smelly camping gear?"

"My gear's not smelly!" Sokka protested. He grabbed his sleeping bag and smelled it. He gagged and held it away from his face.

"We need you to contribute, too," Katara said.

"Not necessary. Like I said, I can carry my own weight," Toph said.

Katara scowled. "That's not the point, Toph. You're being selfish! We've all be working together while you lounge around and do nothing."

" _Nothing_? Excuse me, but _I'm_ the one who's been teaching Aang earthbending. I've sacrificed everything so I could join you guys, and I don't appreciate you wrongfully accusing me!"

Toph parked her butt on the ground and brought up her rock tent.

"Hey! Don't tent yourself while I'm talking to you!" Katara beat her fists against the rock.

"Um... Should we do something?" Aang said.

"Nah. I'm enjoying this," Sokka said.

I elbowed Sokka. "What he means is we should let them work this out."

We grabbed our sleeping bags, laid them in a line, and started to fall asleep. However, a few minutes later, Toph emerged from her tent.

"That thing is back!" she said.

"Again?" Aang said.

We rolled up our sleeping bags, Sokka not even bothering to get out of his, and climbed back onto Appa. We flew away once more.

"Why is that thing following us?" I said.

"More like how does it keeping finding us?" Toph said.

"Don't worry," Aang called from the front, "I'll make sure it can't follow us."

Aang snapped the reins, and Appa begrudgingly flew faster. I gazed at the smoke cloud as it grew smaller and smaller. As I watched, I noticed something white drift into the air. I looked down at Appa's legs and watched loose strands of fur fall off and float to the ground.

 _Huh..._

Appa flew us over many valleys and up to the top of a mountain. When we landed, Appa fell over, and we spilled out.

"I won't even bother with unpacking," Sokka said. He crawled away like a caterpillar. "Good night."

"Good, because I doubt Toph would've helped," Katara said.

"Sorry, _Mom_ ," Toph muttered.

"Guys, stop. Let's just get some sleep while that thing, whatever it may be, is off our trail," Aang said.

"You know, it could be Zuko," Katara said. "It's been a while since we've seen him."

"Who's Zuko?" Toph said.

"Ashe's childhood best friend who's trying to kill us," Sokka muttered.

"Sokka..." I said. I laid my head on my sleeping bag. "I don't think it's him. He needs to sleep just like the rest of us."

"Well right now, we're safe. Let's enjoy it," Aang said.

Momo hopped onto Sokka's chest and started chattering.

"Shush, Momo. It's sleepy time," Sokka mumbled.

Momo continued chattering. He hopped off Sokka and flapped his arms. We sat up.

"Oh, don't tell me..."

"That's impossible. I made _sure_ they couldn't find us," Aang said.

I glanced at Appa. "Um..."

"Come on, let's just go," Katara said.

"Wait," Aang said. "Let's see who it is. Maybe they're friendly."

"Yeah, because friendly people would relentlessly chase us down in what feels like an avalanche," Toph said.

The machine parked. A long, stone path separated us. The door opened with a hiss and a cloud of steam. Three mongoose lizards crawled out, with Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee riding on their backs. I gasped.

"What? Who's there?" Toph said.

"Ashe's murderous childhood best friend's psycho sister and her minion friends," Sokka said.

"You could word it a little better..." I said.

The mongoose lizards slithered up the path.

"Okay! We found out who they were, and now we know! Let's get out of here!" Sokka said.

We scurried into Appa's saddle. Toph stayed behind and caused a rock wall to rise in front of the girls. Azula thrust two fingers forward. A stream of blue lightning burst from her fingers and hit the wall, creating a hole for them to climb through.

"She can bend _lightning_?" I whispered. "When did she learn that?!"

"I'd rather not wait and find out!" Katara said. "Toph, let's _go_!"

"Calm your britches, I'm coming!" Toph called. A vein throbbed on Katara's forehead. Toph pushed off her feet, and the rock beneath her catapulted her into the air. We reached out, grabbed her, and pulled her into the saddle. Aang snapped the reins, and Appa took off. The three mongoose lizards stood on the platform where we once were. A blast of blue fire raced towards us.

I pulled water from my water skin and thrust it towards the fireball. They met, and the fireball sizzled out. A hot cloud of steam rose into the air and disappeared. They disappeared from our sight.

"I can't believe they've been following us since Omashu," Katara said. "That was, what, a week or two ago?"

"Well, Zuko spent months chasing after us," Sokka said. "I guess it runs in the family."

"One more word, and I'm freezing your mouth shut," I grumbled. Sokka shut up.

"Eh, I think we could've taken them," Toph said.

"Are you crazy? There's no way we can like this. You don't even know what those girls are capable of," Katara said. "One of them can shoot blue fire, another one has a million different types of knives, and the third one is capable of taking your bending away."

"What else do you expect from the 'psycho sister and her minion friends'?" I said. I rubbed my sore eyes.

"Ohhhh!" We turned to Sokka, who faced the horizon. The sun had begun to rise. "We've been up all night!"

"It'll be all right, Sokka," Aang said.

"Will it?!"

"Yes. Now, quiet down."

"I think it would be best if we keep flying. After all, every time we land, Azula and the others show up right after," Katara said.

"I don't want to do that to Appa."

"Then what _are_ we going to do?" I yawned.

"I'm too tired to think," Toph mumbled. "Let's save that for after we've taken a nap."

"I like the sound of that..." Sokka said.

The air stopped blowing against us and started gusting underneath us. I felt my body lift off the saddle, and I yelped and grabbed the saddle.

"What's happening?!" Katara cried.

"Appa fell asleep!" Aang said. "Hang on!"

I dug my fingers into the saddle. Toph, who sat next to me, started to slip. I grabbed her arm as she let go to keep her from flying off and pulled her to me. She wrapped her arms around my waist. Aang circled around to Appa's face. The roar of the wind drowned out our screams. The forest below grew increasingly closer.

Appa woke up, and the plunge stopped. We slammed against the saddle. A puff of Appa's fur suspended briefly in the air next to us. We clung to each other as Appa dove into the trees. Appa crashed right next to a river.

"Is everyone all right?" Aang said. We answered with groans. Aang slid off Appa's head. "Appa's exhausted. We can't keep going."

"That's fine," Sokka said. "There's a lot of distance between us and those girls, so let's take this opportunity to fall asleep as fast as we can... which won't be a problem for me."

"Of course, we _could_ have gotten some sleep earlier if it weren't for Toph," Katara said quietly, yet loud enough for Toph to hear clearly.

" _What_?!" Toph cried. She leaped from Appa's saddle, and the ground cracked underneath her.

"Stop it, guys. Fighting won't help anyone," Aang said.

"What is _that_ supposed to mean, Katara?! You saying this is all my fault?!"

"Of course not," Katara said. "I'm just saying that if you had actually helped us like I asked you to, we could have gotten the work done sooner and we could have gotten some sleep. And then we wouldn't be in this situation!"

"You _are_ blaming me! But you're missing one crucial detail, Sugar Queen, and it involves our furry friend here!"

"Hey! Don't drag Appa into this. He's done nothing wrong!" Aang said.

"Um..." I piped up. "I did notice Appa's shedding coat while we were flying. I think that's how they were able to keep finding us."

"Thank you, Ashe," Toph said. "See? If anyone's to blame, it's Appa!"

"How dare you blame Appa. If it weren't for him, Azula would have gotten us. He's done nothing but help us, unlike _some_ body! He's the one who's been carrying our weight, not you, and it's _because_ of you that his burden is bigger! Things were a lot easier before you came around!"

My eyes widened. I between everyone as they stared at Toph. Toph turned and grabbed her bag.

"I'm out of here," she said.

"W-Wait, Toph," I called. She ignored me and kept walking. She disappeared into the forest. "Guys, look what you've done!"

Aang's face fell. "Oh, no," he said. "I can't believe I drove away my earthbending teacher."

Katara held her hands together in front of her. "I feel terrible."

I sighed and tucked hair behind my ear. "I'm going to go look for her. She couldn't have gotten far. When I get back, you're all going to apologize to each other and be nice."

"We'll stay here and come up with a plan to shake your old friends off our trail... hopefully," Sokka said, a cup in his hand. I glared at him, and he chugged his drink.

"Do something about Appa's coat. We're near a river; give him a thorough bath and wash off the excess fur."

"Yes, ma'am," Aang grumbled.

I turned and entered the forest. I cupped my hands over my mouth. "Toph! Toph, where are you?"

The forest was small, and it shifted to a rocky area. I looked forward and sighed in relief.

"Toph, there you are." I jogged up to the twelve-year-old. "Listen, I'm really sorry that the others were rude to you."

"Don't apologize, Ashe. _You_ didn't do anything wrong," Toph said. "It's those dunderheads that need to own up."

"Then let's go back. They feel bad about what happened, and they want to-"

"Shh." Toph gripped my arm.

"What? What is it?"

"There's someone here."

We listened carefully. Toph jerked her head to the northeast. She stomped her foot into the ground. The shockwave traveled off a small ledge and hit something below. We heard someone grunt. While Toph struck a stance, I jogged over to the ledge.

My eyes widened. " _Iroh_?"

Iroh rubbed his sore bottom. He sat up and looked over his shoulder.

"Oh, Ashe," Iroh said, "Long time no see."

"Who's there?" Toph said.

"Uh, I mean... Ursa."

I hopped off the ledge and ran to Iroh's side. I helped him stand.

"That's not necessary anymore. You can call me Ashe," I said.

"Thank goodness. I would have gotten very confused," Iroh said.

I smiled and turned to Toph. "This is Iroh. He and I have known each other since I was younger."

Toph lowered her arms. "Okay..."

"It's very nice to meet you," Iroh said.

"You, too. Sorry for earthbending at you."

Iroh smiled. "It's all right. That doesn't happen every day. It adds excitement to my usually mundane life."

"What are you doing here?" I said. "Is Zuko with you?"

"I'm afraid not." My shoulders slumped, and Iroh chuckled. "Why don't we all sit down and catch up? I found an herb that would taste delicious as a tea."

I gathered nearby twigs as Iroh brought out a teapot, a stand, and some cups. I handed the twigs to him, and he laid them down and hit them on fire with his firebending. He placed the teapot on the stand.

"You don't look so good," Iroh said as he and I knelt at the fire.

"Rough night last night," I said quietly. Toph was out of earshot. She sat on the cliffside and swung her feet in the air. "Why are you all the way out here?"

"I'm following Zuko."

"So he's nearby?"

"I believe so."

"What happened? I thought you were traveling together."

The teapot whistled. Iroh lifted the pot and evenly poured tea into three cups.

"You're worried about him, aren't you?" Iroh handed me a cup of tea.

"Of course I am. Why would you even ask me that?" Iroh chuckled. I smiled and sipped my tea. "How was he when you were with him?"

"Very rude. He didn't want to drink any of my tea. He said, 'There are better things to do than drink your leaf juice!' I've never been so offended in my life."

I giggled. "Now, sweets on the other hand, that's a different story. I remember when we were younger, he ate an entire plate of fruit tarts by himself. He wouldn't even let me have one."

"I remember that, too. Poor boy was bedridden for the rest of the day."

"He couldn't look at fruit tarts for months."

Iroh and I laughed. I held up my empty cup, and Iroh refilled it.

"Tea is ready," Iroh called to Toph. Toph stood and walked over. Iroh handed Toph her tea, and she sat on the ground. "Now, tell me why you young ladies are out here in the middle of nowhere."

"I decided to start traveling by myself," Toph said. "And don't tell me that I shouldn't do that. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"I believe you, especially after getting a taste of your earthbending."

Toph scoffed. "That's a first. Usually people see me and think that I'm some sick, lonely puppy that needs to be taken care of. They never realize that I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself by myself."

"You sound like my nephew."

I perked up from my teacup. Iroh set his cup down.

"He's just like you; always thinking that you can handle things on your own without anyone's support," Iroh said. "But there is nothing wrong with asking for or letting others help. The people who love you want to help you, and that's perfectly okay."

Toph swirled her teacup. "Where is your nephew?"

"He's also decided that it's time for him to travel alone. He has recently experienced some drastic life changes. He's going through difficult times, and I want to help him. He's trying to figure out who he is, but he wants to figure it out by himself. He may not want me around right now, but if he needs me, I'll be there."

I stared at my tea. _Zuko..._

"You agree with me, Ashe?"

I looked up at Iroh. "Huh?"

"You want to help the people you love, don't you?"

Iroh looked at me over his teacup. I smiled softly.

"Yeah. I really do."

Iroh smiled. "Then, I wish you the best of luck."

"Thank you." Toph stood up. "Toph?"

"I'm ready to go back," Toph said. She picked up her bag and held it in both hands. "Thank you, Iroh. Your words helped me."

"It was my pleasure. There's nothing that I enjoy more than sharing tea with friends."

"It was nice to see you again, Iroh," I said.

"I hope the time between reunions is short."

I stood up. "All right, Toph, let's-"

A gasp escaped my lips. Down below, there was an abandoned town. Blue and red fire flew into the air. Strong air currents shot the fire in strange directions.

"Aang," I said. Iroh stood up.

"Aang's down there with two other people," Toph said. "He's trying to hold them off."

"We must hurry," he said.

I nodded, and the three of us hurried down the path. As we entered the town, we could see the fire consuming a building. Zuko crashed through the wall of a building, followed by a blue fireball, and hit the ground.

"You keep going," Toph said, and she broke off and headed east.

While Azula and Aang fought, Iroh and I hurried to Zuko. I knelt at his side.

"Zuko, wake up!" I shook his shoulder.

Zuko's eyes fluttered open, and he looked at me.

"...Ashe?" he said.

"Are you okay?"

He sat up and rubbed his head. Uncle Iroh offered a hand, and Zuko took it and stood.

"Aw," We looked up and faced Azula, "looks like the family's back together again. My heart is overflowing."

Azula whirled around as Sokka, Katara, and Aang attacked her. I popped the lids of my water skins. I pulled the water out of one and slashed my arm diagonally. The water whipped at Azula. She pivoted on her foot, faced me, and swiped her arm vertically. The fire cut through the water in half like scissors to a thread. I brought my other arm up, clenched my fists, and thrust them in an X. The water sharpened into multiple ice shards and flew towards Azula. Azula kicked her leg in an arc and slammed her heel into the ground. A geyser of fire erupted and melted the ice. I could see Azula's smirk through the steam. Zuko and Iroh were gone from my side.

Azula's smile fell, and she looked at the ground. She was jerked to the side and fell. She planted her hands on the ground and caught herself.

"Hey, guys," Toph said. "Hope I didn't miss anything."

"You're just in time to kick some princess butt," Sokka said, gripping his boomerang.

We threw air currents and water at Azula. She scurried into an alley, and we followed her. Azula looked over her shoulder. Iroh stepped in her path, and she rammed into his big belly. She stumbled back into a corner filled with piles of wooden planks and bricks. We surrounded her.

"Isn't this a sight," Azula said. "The last time I saw an army of traitors was when Father took me to my first execution. How nostalgic." Azula raised her arms above her head. "A princess knows when to surrender, and I do so with honor."

I pivoted my feet to strengthen my stance. _She's lying. No way anyone here believes her. She's looking for a chance to retreat._ I glanced at Zuko, who stood next to Iroh. His eyes were glued to Azula, and his hands were tense and poised to attack. _What should we do? Should we attack? Should we close her in even more and grab her?_

Pain exploded in my chest, and I was propelled backwards. The air caught in my throat, and I felt like I lost the ability to breathe. Smoke filled my nostrils. I hit the ground.

* * *

~TPPOV~

Zuko cried out as the blue fireball hit Ashe in the chest. She was launched back, and she hit the ground. Everyone gaped in horror. Their faces contorted as they faced Azula, who remained in her freshly struck attack pose. Smoke curled from her fingertips, and she smiled.

Water, earth, fire, and air combined as everyone unleashed their attack on Azula. Azula thrust her arms out and covered herself in a dome of blue fire. The elements mixed and exploded. Fireballs reigned from the sky and fell on the town's buildings, immediately catching them on fire. When the smoke cleared, the group saw that Azula was gone.

The Avatar gang quickly turned and saw Zuko kneeling next to Ashe. His hands covered his face, and he trembled.

"Ashe!" Katara cried. The group hurried towards them.

Zuko thrust his fist at them, unleashing a fireball. They jumped back, and the fireball soared over their heads.

"Get away from us!" he growled.

"I have healing powers, Zuko," Katara said. "Let me-"

" _No_! Don't come any closer, or I'll-!"

"Ashe is our friend, too!" Sokka said. "We don't have time for your protests! If she doesn't get help, she's going to die!"

Zuko's eyes trembled as he glared at the group. Their bitter feelings faltered as they studied Zuko's deep, menacing look. His face was terrifying, but his eyes looked like he would break at any moment.

"Zuko." Zuko snapped his head towards Iroh, who knelt next to him and rested a hand on his shoulder. After a brief staredown, Zuko bowed his head, slumped his shoulders, and held his clenched fists against his knees. Iroh looked over his shoulder and at Katara. "Go ahead."

Katara walked over to the other side of Ashe and knelt. She peeled off the charred fabric clinging to Ashe's skin, leaving the sarashi wrapped around her chest. She gulped at the dark red skin and large blisters. Zuko squeezed his eyes shut. Katara pulled water from her water skin and covered her hands with it. They glowed blue. She pressed her hands against the burned skin. She shuddered at how hot and tender it felt. The blisters shrunk under her palms. She lifted her hands. The skin was still deep red, but the blisters had shrunk dramatically.

"She'll be okay," Katara said. "It's a serious burn, and even with my healing, it'll leave a scar. We just need to bandage the burn-"

"Take her," Zuko said. Katara looked at Zuko. He refused to meet anyone's gaze. "I said, take her! Take her and leave, _now_!"

Katara looked to Iroh, who nodded. Sokka walked over, slid his hands underneath Ashe, and lifted her in his arms. The Water Tribe siblings stood.

"Thank you," Iroh said. He turned his attention to his nephew.

The Avatar group regathered, pausing a moment to look at Iroh and Zuko. Sokka adjusted Ashe as she hung heavily in his arms, and the group walked away.


	27. Bitter Work

My eyes peeled open. A warm blanket was draped over my body, but something cold rested on my chest. I pulled the covers off my torso, and the air hit my bare arms and shoulders. As I started to sit up, a pang of pain ignited in my chest. A block of ice wrapped in cloth tumbled into my lap. I reached up and placed a hand over the burning spot, and I felt the gauze layered over my skin. I planted my other hand on the ground and hoisted myself upright. I looked down.

My shirt laid in a neatly folded pile next to me. However, I could see a large portion in the chest was missing; a hole with the edges charred. I had my sarashi wrapped around my chest, with a layer of gauze covering my left shoulder and collarbone. The memories came back to me; I got hit by Azula.

I looked at my things again, and I noticed the letter curled up on the other side. I reached over, wincing slightly, and grabbed the letter. I still haven't read it yet. I removed the tie and unrolled the scroll. Something fell into my lap.

 _"Dear Ashe,"_ it read, _"I found this handkerchief in one of the villages we stopped at. I hope it is something you find comforting."_

I looked at my lap. I picked up the handkerchief. It was a mixture of white, light blue, and dark blue. The symbol of the Water Tribe as stitched with black thread in the center; the exact same handkerchief I received from Iroh when I was younger. I turned back to the letter.

 _"It pleases me to see that you've grown into a strong, young woman. No matter what may happen, never be afraid to rely on your family- who you define as such is up to you. I'll always cheer you on. Sincerely, Iroh."_

I smiled. I looked up and squinted at the bright sun.

"Ashe!" The sun was blocked by silhouettes. I blinked multiple times and looked between my friends. Katara knelt at my side. "You're finally awake!"

"Finally...?" My voice was quiet from my dry throat, and I coughed. Katara offered me a canteen, and I drained it in a few gulps. "How long was I asleep?"

"It's been a few days," Aang said. "You've been unconscious since you were hit by Azula's fireball."

I reached up and touched the gauze. "What happened after that?"

My friends looked between each other. "Azula escaped. After I used my healing, we took you and left," Katara said. "We've camped out here since then."

"What about...?" I stopped myself and stared at my lap.

"Zuko let us leave," Aang said. I looked at him. He rubbed the back of his neck and didn't meet my gaze.

I planted my hands on the ground and started to stand. Katara grabbed my arm.

"I think you should rest some more," she said.

"I've been resting for the past few days," I said. Katara sighed and helped me stand. I tucked my handkerchief away and gripped my bandaged shoulder.

"You two continue your earthbending training," Katara said to Toph and Aang. She looked at me. "I kept some leftovers available for you when you woke up. You must be starving."

On cue, my stomach growled. I laughed quietly.

"It's been a few days, so you'll need your bandages changed," Katara said. "Toph, can you make something for us for privacy?"

"Sure thing." Toph stomped her feet against the ground and thrust her arms diagonally. A rock teepee formed next to Appa. He lifted his head and grumbled. Toph slapped Aang's back harshly, making him stumble. "All right, Twinkle Toes, let's get back to your training."

"Yes, Seifu Toph," Aang winced. The two headed further into the rocky valley we camped in.

I nodded. Katara rummaged through the bags strapped to Appa and pulled out a small container. She handed it to me.

"Thank you," I said.

"I can heat it up for you if you want-" Katara said.

I opened the container and started to drink the soup. Katara chuckled.

"I guess that won't be necessary."

I lowered the bowl, already half empty, and smiled. Once I finished the soup, I handed the container back to Katara, and she set it next to the other dirty dishes from breakfast. She grabbed her water skin and some more gauze. We stepped into the teepee. Toph had even gone to the extent of making a rock stump for me to sit on. I sat.

"Lift your arms for me. It'll make the exchange easier," Katara said. I slowly raised my arms out to the side. I winced from the flash of hot pain. "The good news is Azula's fire didn't hit your chest, just above it, so no vital organs risked getting damaged. I was able to heal you right after you got hit, so there's no worry for infection."

I nodded. Katara slowly unwrapped the gauze. The air hit my skin, and I winced at my exposed burn. It stretched down from my collarbone, ending just before the top of my sarashi, and it spread over to the middle of my décolletage. The skin was bright red.

"The color's lightened, and the blisters are gone; that's good."

Katara pulled the water from her water skin and covered her hand. The water glowed, and she pressed it against the skin. The coolness felt nice against my skin. Katara finished and put the water back. I reached up and gently touched the skin. It was hard and rough.

"It's going to leave a scar," Katara said.

I rested my hand in my lap. "That's okay."

Katara unraveled the gauze, and I lifted my arm again.

"When you got hit by Azula," Katara said quietly, "we were all baffled that she would do something so horrible. We were so scared."

A sad smile twitched at my lips. "I'm sorry I worried you all."

"It's just that... when I saw Zuko's face..." I perked up and looked at Katara. She focused on wrapping. "In that moment, I forgot about all the things that he's done and what he's put us through. He looked... more helpless than _you_."

My eyes widened, and I looked at my right arm. The sarashi was still wrapped around my skin. My smile softened.

"There, all done." Katara stood and shook out her arms. "The bandages should last a week. We'll do one more healing session then, and you'll be good to go. In the meantime, don't move too quickly or harshly."

I stood and slowly rolled my shoulder. We stepped out of the teepee, and Katara walked over to her stuff. She pulled out a tunic and handed it to me.

"Here, I'll lend you this."

I took the shirt. "Thank you, Katara."

Katara smiled. The ground rumbled heavily beneath our feet. We looked at each other.

"I'll go ahead and see how Aang and Toph are doing," Katara said. She jogged into the rocky valley.

I slipped on the tunic. It was blue with short sleeves, leaving my elbows and upper arms exposed. The neckline was a a small V, and it stretched down over my butt. The sides had slits that stretched up to my hips. The sleeves, neckline, and bottom of the tunic were lined with a stripe of white. I pulled the leather ties from my tattered shirt and used them to cinch my waist.

Something stood at my feet. I looked down and saw a small, fuzzy animal gazing up at me: a baby sabertooth moose lion. I crouched down.

"What are you doing here, little guy?" I said. I offered my hand, and the baby moose lion sniffed my fingers. The cub wagged his tail and purred. He scurried down the path. He stopped and turned to me expectantly. I followed him. "Where's your mom?"

We climbed out of the valley. I turned and looked over the scenery. In the distance, I saw the abandoned town of Tu Zin. Across the plain, I saw another plateau. From it, a tiny trail of smoke curled into the air.

The moose lion cub yapped, and I turned my attention back to it. At the top of the plateau was a small area of greenery. As we walked around, I heard grunting and struggling. I followed the noises.

" _Sokka_?" I said.

Sokka was wedged inside a crack in the ground, only his head and shoulders above ground. His arms were pinned to his side, with his hands raised. He wiggled his fingers.

"Hey, Ashe," Sokka said. "Good to see you walking around."

"How did you get yourself in there?"

The lion cub walked over to Sokka and sat next to him. "You can thank Foo Foo Cuddlypoops."

"Foo Foo... _what_?"

"That's what I named him. We're friends now, right, Foo Foo Cuddlypoops?"

The lion cub yapped. I facepalmed.

"Here, I'll get you out of there," I said.

"Uh... I'm pretty wedged in here. I'd rather have some help from Toph or Aang. Any other method, and you might rip limbs out," Sokka said. "How's Aang's training going?"

"I haven't checked, but I'm going to assume it's going well." I gripped my shoulder and chuckled. "I mean, I haven't heard any screaming or crying yet..."

"Me neither. Of course, it's hard to hear anything from way up here. How's your burn?"

I sat next to Sokka. "Katara's been taking good care of it with her healing. I'm going to be just fine."

"Good... It's been an interesting past few days."

I chuckled. "I'll say."

"I remember when you told us your story back at the swamp, and what you said about Zuko." I looked at Sokka. "No offense, but I thought you were crazy when you said he's a good person, considering all the things he's put us through. But... after you got hit by Azula, and I saw the look in his eyes... A truly evil person wouldn't have cared so much."

Foo Foo Cuddlypoops tilted his head curiously at Sokka. He scampered away, and a few minutes later, he returned with an apple.

"For me?!" Sokka said. Foo Foo Cuddlypoops nudged the apple with his nose, but it stopped just out of Sokka's reach. He tried to grab it, but to no avail.

I covered my mouth and laughed. I picked up the apple and handed it to Sokka. He grinned and devoured the apple.

* * *

~TPPOV~

Iroh stood before Zuko, who sat on the ground, and drew in the dirt with a long stick. One by one, he drew the elements' symbols.

"Fire is the element of power. The people of the Fire Nation have desire and will, and the energy and drive to achieve what they want.

"Earth is the element of substance. The people of the Earth Kingdom are diverse and strong. They are persistent and enduring.

"Air is the element of freedom. The Air Nomads detached themselves from worldly concerns and found peace and freedom.

"Water is the element of change. The people of the Water Tribe are capable of adapting to many things. They have a deep sense of community and love that holds them together through anything."

Zuko stared at the water symbol. Iroh planted the stick at his side.

"You're worried about her, aren't you?"

"Of course I am. Why would you even ask me that?" Iroh chuckled. "What are you laughing at?"

"She said the exact same thing when I ran into her a few days ago."

Zuko's posture straightened slightly. "You talked with her? What... about?"

"Mostly about you," Iroh said. "She never said it, but I could tell; she misses her friend."

Zuko bowed his head and looked at his hands held tightly in his lap.

* * *

~ASHE~

"You know what would be really nice of you to do?" Sokka said. I perked up from petting Foo Foo Cuddlypoops. "If you could get up and go look for someone that can _get me out of here_!"

I sighed. "And here I thought we were having a special bonding moment."

"We can have plenty more of those when I'm not embedded in the ground!"

Foo Foo Cuddlypoops jumped out of my lap and scurried away. He stopped and yapped at something above us. Aang leaped down from the ground.

"Sokka! There you are!" Aang said. "We've been looking for you."

"That's nice," Sokka said. "You probably would have found me a little earlier if Ashe did something."

"How's your training going?" I said.

Aang grimaced. "Uh... Good. It's going well."

"Well, then, maybe you could use your newly learned earthbending skills to get me out of here. Please," Sokka said.

"...Let me try airbending..."

"Aang!"

Aang sighed. "Okay! Training is not going well. I haven't learned any earthbending! It's just... so difficult!" He sat on the other side of Sokka. Sokka scowled.

"It's okay if you take your time, Aang," I said.

"I don't really have the luxury to take my own time. Summer gets closer every day. I have everyone's expectations resting on me, and it feels even heavier when I get stuck like this."

"I sure know how it feels to be stuck," Sokka said.

"All right, fine, we'll go and get Toph," I said. I stood up and folded my arms.

"Thank you."

Foo Foo Cuddlypoops walked over to Aang and wagged his tail.

"Aw," Aang stood and picked the cub up, "what a cute little sabertooth moose lion cub."

"His name is Foo Foo Cuddlypoops," Sokka said. "How'd you know what he was?"

"Well, it's hard to tell when their young, before their antlers and teeth come in." Foo Foo Cuddlypoops wiggled his feet in the air. "Where's your mother?"

Behind us, the air rumbled with a low growl. We froze and slowly turned around. Foo Foo Cuddlypoops' mother, a giant sabertooth moose lion, bared her teeth.

"Found her," Sokka gulped.

"Uh... Hello. We found your cub," Aang said. He set Foo Foo Cuddlypoops down, and he scampered between his mother's legs and into a bush. "See? We're all friends, right?"

The mother continued to growl.

"This is bad," I said. "I'll go get Toph and-"

"No! Don't leave me here!" Sokka said.

"You're the one who kept nagging me to get help."

"That was before an angry animal wanted our blood!"

"It'll be okay, Sokka," Aang said.

I gripped my shoulder. _I don't have my water skins with me... I can only rely on what's in the air, but this area is so dry I won't have much to work with._ I swirled my hands in the air and began to pull water from the air. A hot flash of pain ignited in my chest, and I gasped and clutched it. The water splashed to the ground.

"Don't overwork yourself, Ashe," Aang said. "I'll take care of the moose lion. Keep an eye on Sokka."

The moose lion scraped her front hoof against the ground a few times and charged. Sokka screamed. Aang thrust out his hands, and an air current slammed into the moose lion. She stumbled back and growled. This happened a few more times. Finally, the sabertooth moose lion turned and stormed away into the greenery.

"Are you both all right?" Aang said.

"Just peachy," Sokka said.

We heard clapping, and we turned to see Toph approaching us.

"Well done, Twinkle Toes," Toph said.

"You saw all that? Why didn't you help us?! We were in danger?" Aang said.

"Sorry, it never crossed my mind. It looked like you had everything under control." Toph stomped her foot, and a boulder sprung up from the ground. "Now, let's try this again. You stood your ground against a wild animal; now, try this rock."

Aang looked at the rock with a determined face. He planted his feet and thrust his palms at the rock. The rock launched back and hit a tree. A wide smile spread across his face.

"Congratulations! You're an earthbender," Toph said. "Now let's get Sokka out of the ground."

"Thank you," Sokka said.

"Can I try?" Aang said.

"Not unless you want him to come out in pieces," Toph said.

Toph thrust her arms to the side, and the gap widened. She grabbed Sokka's shirt before he could sink further and dragged him out of the hole.

"You okay?" I said, resting a hand on Sokka's shoulder.

"It's so nice to move my arms again," Sokka said. "Can we get something to eat? I haven't had anything to eat since that apple Foo Foo Cuddlypoops gave me."

"Foo Foo Cuddly- _what_?" Toph said.

"Sokka's new friend," I said. "I don't think they'll keep in touch. His mom doesn't really approve."

A drop of water hit my arm. I raised my palm and looked up at the sky. Dark clouds began to move in, and rain drops started to fall and steadily thickened. Thunder crashed nearby.

"Let's go. Katara's probably worried sick wondering where we all are," Aang said.

We nodded and jogged into the rocky valley, shielding ourselves from the rainfall.


	28. The Library

The dry, warm air swept through the savanna. The landscape before us was covered with holes. I held my shoulder as the breeze swept through the air. We stayed in the rocky canyon near Tu Zin so Aang could practice earthbending and I could heal. I didn't need bandages anymore, but I was still advised to be careful for the next few days. My skin felt raw and rough.

"So... why are we just sitting here?" Sokka said.

"I want to show you guys something," Aang said, a giddy smile on his face as he sat on the ground and held a flute in his hands. He faced forward, took a deep breath, and played a single note. A groundhog poked its head from one of the holes and sang the same note. Aang played a chord, and three groundhogs emerged and sang it back to him. He turned back to us and giggled.

"Really?"

"It's fine, Sokka. After all, this is part of our mini-vacation," Toph said.

"And I've said repeatedly that we don't have _time_ for a mini-vacation. Even Aang's said it."

"I know I did, but... this past week, all I've done is train. I'm exhausted," Aang said. "And this mini-vacation will be no longer than a day, maybe two. We've all been working hard; stepping away for a moment to breathe will be good for us."

Aang played another note, and a groundhog chirped directly in front of Momo. He pounced as the groundhog went back into the hole. A vein appeared on Sokka's forehead. Aang stood, walked over to Appa, and fished a local map from the saddle.

"Your turn, Katara," Aang said, showing her the map. "Where do you want to go next?"

"How about the Misty Palms Oasis?" Katara said.

"Ooh, I've been there. It's an ice spring, and one of the best I've even seen."

* * *

"One of the best you've ever seen, huh?" Sokka said.

The picture on the map looked nothing like what we saw. The piece of ice sitting in the center of town was only a fraction of the former towering pillar. The walls were cracked, and the buildings were crumbling.

"Well... it _has_ been a while since I last visited..." Aang said.

We entered the oasis. We headed to a bar-like establishment, nervously avoiding eye contact with the group of gauze-wrapped men loitering outside. They glared at us as we passed, but I couldn't tell who looked at who with their glasses.

The establishment was quiet, save for the tinkling of glasses and whispered small talk. As we approached the bar, we watched the server dish up a mango drink. Using two scimitars, he grabbed a mango, diced it up, and mixed it with a fizzy liquid inside a cup. He placed a straw and a mini umbrella in the drink and slid it to the customer.

"Thank you," the customer said. He grabbed the drink and turned around, bumping into Aang. The drink splattered all over Aang's clothing. "I-I'm so sorry! I didn't see you."

Aang raised a hand. "It's all right. I'm great at cleaning up these kinds of messes."

Aang clapped his hands together, and air swept through his clothes. The mango liquid dried instantly.

"Interesting," the customer said. "I've never met an Air Nomad before. And who might you be?"

"I'm Aang."

"It's nice to meet you, Aang. My name is Zei. I'm a professor at Ba Sing Se University." He grabbed Aang's arm and studied the arrow tattoo on the back of his hand. "Which air temple do you hail from?"

"The Southern Temple."

Professor Zei pulled out a compass and began measuring Aang's head.

"All right, this has gotten weird," Sokka said. He turned to the bar. "One mango drink, please."

"Make that two," Toph said.

"Banana sounds good," Katara said.

"Can I get a mix of strawberry and peach?" I said.

Through the slicing of fruit and preparation of our drinks, Professor Zei questioned Aang. The server handed us our drinks.

"Hey, Professor," Sokka said. "Do you have a more current map we could use? Ours is a little outdated."

"Of course," Professor Zei said. He pulled a map from his backpack and handed it to Sokka.

Sokka unfolded the map over a table and scanned it. "Um… you wouldn't happen to have a map of the Fire Nation, would you?"

"Sorry, I don't. This is the most detailed map I have."

"You've visited this desert quite a few times," Katara said. "How come?"

"I've been searching for something. My father had read about, and my grandfather had read about it, but neither of them have been able to find what they're looking for: Wan Shi Tong's library."

"What's so great about this library? I mean, if you've spent years searching for it, there's got to be something good in it," Toph said.

"Indeed. Wan Shi Tong, the Knowledge Spirit, created this library with the help of his knowledge-seeking fox helpers. Inside contains vast knowledge about anything and anyone. They put this knowledge on display so that people may come and partake of it… Although you certainly don't hear anything about it from people nowadays. I don't know why it's so well-hidden."

"Knowledge about anything?" Sokka said. "Even about the Fire Lord and the Fire Nation?"

"Anything you can think of, it's very possible that the library has information about it."

Sokka turned to us. "I've decided where I want to go next for our mini-vacation- to Wan Shi Tong's library!"

"But we don't even know where it is. Not even the obsessed professor knows," Toph said.

I stirred my half-empty glass with my straw. "Well, it has to be somewhere in the desert. Professor Zei's kept track of which parts he's searched, so we can just search the areas he hasn't been to."

"But how would all of us survive in this desert? Every time I set foot in it, I've barely made it out," Zei said.

"Don't worry, Professor," Aang said. "We've got the perfect solution. My friend's just outside the oasis. We can introduce you to him."

We finished our drinks and left the establishment. We exited the oasis and saw a group of the gauze-covered men trying to approach Appa. Appa growled and bared his teeth.

"An air bison?!" Professor Zei cried.

"Hey, get away from Appa!" Aang cried.

The men shrunk away. They scurried to their gliders and fled by bending the sand.

"Sandbenders…" Zei sighed. He turned to Appa. "So, this is your friend? Air bisons were the origins of airbending, so it only makes sense that Air Nomads became their companions."

"That's right. Appa and I have been together since we were younger," Aang said. He chuckled. "That's actually a really long time."

We climbed into Appa's saddle. Aang snapped the reins, and Appa slapped his tail against the ground and lifted into the air.

"Amazing!" Zei cried as he sat next to Aang. He held his hat to keep it from flying off. "I'll have to take the time to learn Bisonese. I can only imagine the stories this one has to tell."

Aang chuckled. "I'm sure he'd love to tell them to you. So, what does this library look like?"

Professor Zei pulled out a small piece of parchment paper. "Here."

We peered over the saddle and at the paper. The sketch was of a large palace.

"You've had a hard time finding this huge building?" Katara said. "Well, we'll have an air advantage, so it shouldn't be difficult to find it."

An hour passed, and all we had seen was dunes. I balanced a slab of ice on my head to stay cool, wrapped in an endless battle to keep the sun from melting it.

"Hey," Sokka said from his telescope, "I see something down there."

He pointed to a tower poking up from the sand. Aang led Appa to the ground.

"This can't be it. The building we're looking for is much bigger than this tower," Katara said. "Let's just keep looking."

Aang nodded and moved to snap the reins. He paused.

"Look," he said.

We followed his line of sight and saw a fox climbing over a sand dune. It had a small bag tied to its back, and it held something in its mouth. It perked its head up as we circled above it. The fox scurried to the tower, climbed up the side, and crawled through the window at the top.

"I think that was one of Wan Shi Tong's knowledge seekers," Professor Zei said. "Perhaps if we follow it, it can lead us to where the library is! Let me see the sketch again."

Aang handed Professor Zei the paper. Zei studied the paper excitedly. Slowly, his expression fell.

"N-No, this… this can't be…" he said.

"What's up?" Toph said.

"The library…" Zei gestured wildly to the tower. He waved the paper in our faces. "Look at this spire! This is the top of the structure! _This_ is Wan Shi Tong's library! Completely buried… just like my life's work!" He sighed. "Well, I should waste anymore of my energy complaining. We've got a building to dig up."

Toph walked over to the tower and planted her hand against it. "That won't be necessary. The inside of the building isn't filled with sand. Which is good, since this place is _huge_ and sandbending isn't exactly my forte."

"Looks like the only way in is through those windows," I said. "But how do you suppose we get up there?"

"Leave that to me!" Sokka plucked his boomerang from his back. "Anybody got some rope?"

"I do," Professor Zei said. He handed a bundle of rope to Sokka.

Sokka tied the rope tightly around his boomerang and threw it. The boomerang snagged against the other side of the window.

"Climb up one at a time. I'll go first," Sokka said, and he grabbed the rope and scaled the wall.

"I'll stay behind," Toph said.

"Are you sure? We're talking about 'vast knowledge' here," Katara said.

"Not really interested. Besides, what if something happens outside and we're all in that dusty place? I'll stand watch."

"Appa will be out here, too, so you two can keep each other company," Aang said. Appa purred.

"Yeah, sure… After all, we'll have _plenty_ to talk about…"

One by one, we scaled the tower. At my turn, I took a deep breath and gripped the rope.

 _This is fine,_ I thought. _This is fine._

I climbed the rope, and we entered the library. We dangled from the long piece of rope and scanned the area.

"Oh, just look at this place! Isn't it everything you've wanted and more?" Professor Zei said.

"Yeah… sure," Sokka said.

We reached the end of the rope and hopped onto one of the woven stone bridges. Several floors lay below, so many that I couldn't see the bottom. Countless bookshelves lined the area, each inch filled with books and scrolls. The only free space was this bridge and the open space from the tower..

Footsteps approached. We scurried to the other side of the bridge and hid behind pillars. A large owl emerged from the shadows and stepped onto the bridge. Its coat of feathers was pitch black, and its face was white. Two white spots shaped like eyes were on the back of its head. It stopped and examined the rope we left dangling. The owl scanned the area, twisting its neck in a full circle.

"I know you're there," the owl said. He turned his head in our direction. "It's pointless for you to hide."

Professor Zei stepped out from the pillar. "H-Hello! My name is Professor Zei, and I'm from the Ba Sing Se University!"

"You've come a long way, I see. I suggest you go back."

"You're Wan Shi Tong, right? The Spirit of Knowledge?" Aang said. We stepped away from the pillar and approached the owl. "I'm the Avatar."

"Yes, I am Wan Shi Tong. And you may be the Avatar, but you are human, just like your friends, and humans are no longer allowed in my library."

"Why? What did we do?"

"I once had my knowledge accessible for all who wished to learn, but humans only want to learn things they can use against their adversaries. The last one who came was a Fire Nation soldier who sought ways to destroy his enemies," Wan Shi Tong said.

"Fire Nation soldier?" I said. "What did he look like? What was he after?"

"He discovered information about the Ocean and Moon Spirits." My eyes widened, and Wan Shi Tong tilted his head. "You know who I am speaking of?"

"Y-Yes… His name is Zhao, and he was a general in the Fire Nation army. He tried to use that information to destroy the moon and waterbenders," I said. I held up my hands and quickly added, "But he failed, and it cost his life."

"Hm. Humans will do anything to achieve their goals. The means have no limits. Now," Wan Shi Tong thrust his face close to us, "what are _your_ goals?"

Sokka elbowed Aang's back. "Go on, do your thing," he whispered.

"My thing?" Aang faced Wan Shi Tong and cleared his throat. "We are only here to gain knowledge. Professor Zei has spent his entire life looking for this library, and we accompanied him. We have no intentions of seeking knowledge to destroy."

Wan Shi Tong's eyes narrowed. He stood straight. "Very well. My library is open to the Avatar and his companions… on one condition. To receive my knowledge, each of you must contribute knowledge. What do you have to offer?"

My blood ran cold. _Do I even_ have _anything to offer?_

Professor Zei took off his backpack and opened it. He pulled out a large book and offered it to Wan Shi Tong. "I offer this tome."

Katara stepped forward. "I have a waterbending scroll."

"Uh… I have a wanted poster of myself," Aang said.

"Ta-da!" Sokka held out a piece of string he had tied into a butterfly.

I searched my pockets and backpack frantically. My hand brushed against paper in my backpack. I pulled out Iroh's letter. My fingers tightened around the scroll, and I stood.

"It's short, but I have a letter from a retired Fire Nation General, and the former Crown Prince of the Fire Nation," I said.

Wan Shi Tong looked between our offerings. "I accept some offerings more than others…" He shot a pointed glare at Sokka, who smiled nervously. Wan Shi Tong waved his wing, and one by one, our items disappeared from our hands. The letter's weight left me and I sighed. "Enjoy the library."

Wan Shi Tong opened his wings and hopped off the bridge. We looked over the railing and watched him disappear into the library below.

"I'm sorry you had to give up your letter," Katara said. "I would have given you something else to give if you had asked."

I shook my head. "It's fine, really. I'm okay about parting with it. At least we're here."

"Yes! We _are_ here! Here in Wan Shi Tong's library!" Professor Zei cried. He stretched out his arms. "It will take me until the end of time to read every piece in here… But I'm prepared! I packed some snacks!"

We entered one of the walkways, bookshelves on either side of us. Every few feet, there were mini aisles with more bookshelves.

"There's so much stuff here," I said. "It'll take forever to find what you're looking for."

"Wan Shi Tong and his knowledge seekers know where everything is in this place," Professor Zei said. "If we find one of the little critters, they can help us find what we want."

"There's one." Aang pointed to one of the knowledge seekers creeping down the hallway; it was even the same one we saw enter the library. The knowledge seeker's ears perked up. It saw us and walked over. It sat in front of us and tilted its head curiously. "Anyone have anything in particular?"

"I have no preference, but I'll follow," Professor Zei said. "I don't want to get lost."

Aang turned to the knowledge seeker. "What do you recommend for us?"

The knowledge seeker turned and slowly walked away. We followed it down the main aisle and through some of the branched-off aisles. It stopped and sat next to a bookshelf.

"Thanks," Aang said. He scanned the bookshelf. "Hey, this shelf has a bunch of information about the Avatar."

Katara pulled a book off the shelf and skimmed through it. "Did you know that one of your past lives was left-handed?"

"Really? Which one?" Aang stepped closer, and the two read the book.

Professor Zei scanned a bookshelf on the other side, a tall stack of books already balanced in his arms.

"Are you sure you can carry all of those?" I said.

"Oh, yes, I'm perfectly fine," Professor Zei said. "I feel like I can carry the world on my shoulders right now!"

I chuckled nervously and stepped away. _I wonder how Toph and Appa are doing. The poor girl must be so bored right now…_

As I searched the shelves, I noticed someone move in my peripheral. I looked and watched Sokka pull a book from a shelf several feet away. He turned his back to us, stuffed the book in his bag, and walked away. He turned the corner. I knitted my eyebrows and followed him.

Sokka stopped at the end of the hall and hovered over a display case. He pulled out his machete, slid it underneath the glass, and lifted the case off. He slowly slid a burnt piece of paper out of the display case.

"What are you doing?" I said.

Sokka yelped, and his machete flew from his hand. He cringed as it clattered to the ground, and he scooped it back up.

"Nothing," he said.

" _Stealing_ is a little more than nothing. I saw you slip things into your bag. Are you trying to make Wan Shi Tong distrust us?"

"This is all to gain knowledge; you have your ways, and I have mine. Now, check this out." Sokka held out the burnt paper. "What do you think this 'darkest day' means?"

I looked at the paper. It was stiff and thin, and if not handled with extreme care, it could rip easily. The only words written on it were, "The darkest day in Fire Nation history."

"I don't know. Stop trying to change the subject," I said.

"Fine, then. Lecture me on the way to the Fire Nation section," Sokka said. He ran past me.

"Sokka!" I cried. I chased after him. "What are you going to do?"

"I just want to know what happened on the Fire Nation's darkest day. Aren't you even a little bit curious?"

"Of course I am, but the way you're handling things is unnerving."

"Then while I'm learning what I'm after, you can peruse the Fire Nation stuff. You don't have to get involved."

Sokka stumbled to a stop at the end of the tunnel. I stopped next to him and peered inside. I gasped quietly. The room was dark, with only the light from down the hall giving us sight. Through the dimness, I saw ash piles lining the walls.

"It's all gone…" Sokka said. He clenched his fist. "Just when I thought we could get an advantage on the Fire Nation, they've already destroyed everything!"

"You _are_ seeking knowledge to destroy," I said. "When Wan Shi Tong finds out, he's going to stuff our heads and mount them on the walls!"

"More like _if_ he finds out."

"Didn't you hear what I said earlier? Zhao was the last person who did what you're trying to do, and now he's _dead_ because of it!"

"I'm not trying to destroy the Fire Nation or get rid of the sun. We need this if we want Aang to succeed in defeating the Fire Lord. Any information that we can get our hands on will put us on the path to winning this war. I'm doing this for the people I want to protect. I don't see _you_ doing anything!"

My eyes widened, and I clenched my fists.

"Hey, what's going on?" Katara said over my shoulder. She, Aang, and Professor Zei stood behind me.

I turned and walked past them. "I'm leaving."

"Ashe…"

I ignored them and walked out of the tunnel. I arrived at our entrance, the long piece of rope still stable. Wiping my hands against my legs, I grabbed the rope and began to climb.

 _What am_ I _doing?_ I scoffed.

I reached the top of the tower and climbed onto the window. The open air soothed my skin, and the breeze blew away the murky, cramped feeling the library gave me. I peered down to the ground, several feet below. I gulped. Appa rested at the foot of the tower.

"Appa-"

The tower rumbled violently. I gasped and clung to the window. I looked below.

 _The ground's getting closer?_ My eyes widened. I looked into the tower. Waterfalls of desert sand poured from outside and created mounds on the bookshelves and aisles. _The library's sinking!_

"Toph!" I cried. Toph was already on her feet. She pounded her hand against the ground, and the area around her hardened into dirt. She shoved her fists into the side of the tower, halting the fall.

Appa stood nearby, startled by the sinking tower. Prepping myself on the windowsill, I leaped forward. I fell into the saddle, slamming my arm against the leather. Pain burned in my chest, and I cried out and clutched my scar. I sat up.

"Hang on, Toph!" I said.

"Something's… coming!" Toph cried through gritted teeth.

"Huh?" I turned and saw a cloud of dust fast-approaching. Gliders raced towards us. I recognized them from the Misty Palms Oasis; it was the sandbenders.

One thrust his hands out, and a mound of sand shot towards us. A haze of dust hit and surrounded me and Appa. Appa roared and bucked.

"Whoa!" I cried. I clung to the saddle and slowly climbed onto Appa's head. I stroked his fur. "It's okay, buddy! It's okay!"

"Ashe! What's going on?!" Toph called. I couldn't see her through the dust.

The sandbenders hopped off the gliders and surrounded Appa. They twirled pieces of rope with weighted bags attached at the ends. They threw their weights. I popped the lids off my water skins and waved my arms. The double water whips cracked and sliced the ropes. The weights flew over my head and landed in a sand dune. A sharp pain ignited in my chest, and I gasped. My water whips faltered, but I gritted my teeth and pushed through the pain.

A gritty tidal wave smashed into me, and I was launched off Appa. I hit the ground, and all I saw was darkness. I tried to move, but my body was covered by an incredible weight. The weight was hot, and it pinned my arms to my sides.

 _Where am I? Where am I?!_ I couldn't breathe. I couldn't see. I couldn't speak. _Somebody, help me! Help me!_

The weight pushed off me with a gust of wind. I opened my eyes. Despite the intense heat, I had broken into a cold sweat. I wheezed, but no air seemed to reach my lungs; like someone had poked a hole in them. I rolled over onto my side and held my arms. Sand coated my clothes and skin. I slowly lifted my head.

The sandbenders had gotten more weights, and they tossed them over Appa. Appa thrashed around, but there were too many sandbenders. Appa collapsed, and his legs were bound. They tied him to a glider, climbed on, and rode away.

"A… ppa…" I gasped.

My head hit the sand, and my eyes drooped closed.


	29. The Desert

Katara detached the waterskin tied to her hip and handed it to me. "Here," she said, "have a sip."

I accepted the waterskin with a small smile and took a swig. The water went down the wrong pipe, and I lurched forward and coughed. Katara lightly patted my back until the coughs settled. I took another, more cautious sip, and handed the waterskin back to Katara. She took my arm and helped me stand.

I looked between my friends. Toph, Sokka, and Aang all looked in different directions of the desert. A warm wind had picked up, coating our clothes and skin with sand. The sun bore down on my head, neck, and shoulders.

"We should get moving," Katara said.

"Where do we even start?" Sokka said. "We don't have a map."

"Is that all you care about?" Aang said.

"Um… yes?" Sokka gestured to the dunes. "Dying of thirst is not how I want to go."

"That's not what I meant!" Aang whirled around, gripping his staff tightly. "I'm talking about Appa! You're all standing around while he's being taken further and further away from here!"

"There wasn't anything we could've done! The library was sinking, and you guys were still trapped inside!" Toph said.

"There _was_ something you could've done; you could've saved Appa!"

"We _tried_ , Aang," I said. "There were too many of them. They outnumbered us."

Aang's knuckles turned white. Katara reached out and placed her hands over his.

"We won't be able to save Appa if we die in this desert. We need to think of a plan _after_ we get out of here," she said.

Aang stepped away from her touch. "I can't sit and do nothing." Aang turned his back to us. "I'm going after Appa."

"Aang-"

Aang pounded the end of his staff against the sand, and the wings unfolded. He took off into the air, kicking up a small cloud of sand. Katara flinched and brushed the excess off her clothes with a sigh.

"Come on," she said to the rest of us.

She walked ahead. Toph ambled behind. I watched their backs, and I looked to Sokka. Our eyes met briefly. Memories of the library, still fresh in my mind, caused me to look away. I was too exhausted to be angry or offended. Momo landed on my shoulder and chattered curiously in my ear. I patted his tiny shoulder and followed Katara and Toph.

"Do we have any water?" Toph said.

Katara placed a hand on her waterskin. "It's about halfway full. Ashe, do you have any…?"

I shook my head. "I lost it all from the ambush." I raised my good arm and swirled it above my head. After a few circles, I brought my hand to my face. Thin streams of water clung to my skin. "It would take some time to gather from the air, but I'll do what I can." I tilted my head back and let the water trickle into my parched mouth.

"Thank you. Don't push yourself. In the meantime…" Katara extracted a small portion of water from her waterskin.

Toph opened her mouth, and the water entered it. She swallowed and sighed. She smacked her lips together. "This water tastes kind of… funny…"

"Can I have some?" Sokka said. Katara nodded and bended another portion of water to him. Sokka swallowed, and his face contorted. "Ugh, _gross_ , this is the same water you used when we fought that swamp guy!"

"I'm sorry, that's all the water I have," Katara said. "Now, we need to try and conserve it, or else we'll run out before we even a mile into walking."

Sokka sighed and looked out into the distance. A wide grin filled his face "Prepare to take back those words! Look over there!"

We followed his pointed finger to a large, green cactus. Sokka scurried past us, pulled out his machete, and sliced at the top of the cactus. He grabbed the piece and drank hungrily.

"Look! There's water in the cactus!" he said. He held one out to Katara.

"Can I have some?" Toph said.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Katara said. She turned to Sokka and placed her hands on her hips. "You shouldn't be drinking water from there. How do you know it's safe?" Katara said.

"It looks like water, and it tastes like water," Sokka said, gulping down another slice of cactus juice. He set one down for Momo to lap from. "Want some, Ashe?"

"I agree with Katara. Who knows what possible side effects this water could have?" I deadpanned.

"Fine, then. More for me."

Sokka consumed a third cup of water. After finishing it, he froze in his stance and slowly lowered his arms back to his side. He jerked around and faced us. As he turned, he lost his balance and almost fell on his face.

"…Sokka?" Katara said.

Sokka squinted at his sister. His eyes were heavily dilated. "Has your skin always been this green?"

"...What?"

Sokka's eyes grew wide. "You're one of _them_ , aren't you?! A member of the Seaweed People!"

Katara stared blankly at Sokka. She grabbed the empty cactus slice in his hand and tossed it aside. "That's enough cactus water."

Sokka looked around, his face smitten with awe. "Are we in space?" He pointed at Momo, who stumbled drunkenly to my side and collapsed at my feet. "A shooting star! Make a wish, and it'll come true!"

Katara sighed and took Toph's and Sokka's hands. "Come on. We need to keep moving."

I bent down and scooped Momo into my arm. His eyes flew around, as if he could see things that us sober folks couldn't. His pupils almost consumed his irises. I patted his head gently, and he closed his eyes and uttered a strange purr. I sighed and followed the others.

The hot desert sun crawled across the cloudless sky, beating against our backs relentlessly. Every few minutes, I gathered as much water from the air as my tired arms would allow me and tucked it into my waterskin. There came a point during our trek when I stopped sweating, and my body just felt dry and hot. With each step, my body grew increasingly wearier.

At last, the sun started to sink below the horizon. The dimming light stretched over the sand dunes, giving it many different shades of orange; the more further away, the darker the orange. The sky above us was black, despite the sun still being out. Not a single star had appeared. The temperature started to fall, and my heaving lungs and burning skin were grateful for the cooler air.

A shadow flew over us. Katara and I looked up and saw Aang descend to the ground, his back turned to us.

"Aang!" Katara jogged over to him. She stopped directly behind him, pausing for a few moments. She sighed. "I'm sorry, Aang. We _will_ find Appa. I promise. I know it's hard right now, but we have to keep moving-"

"What's the point?" Aang said, bowing his head. "We all know we can't survive in this desert without Appa."

"I'm… starting to agree with Aang," Toph said. She kicked at the ground, and a lump of sand jumped from one spot to another. "As far as I can feel, we're in a giant sand bowl with no way out."

Katara clenched her fists. "Enough with this attitude, everyone! We're going to get out of this desert, and we're going to do it together!" She looked towards the horizon. The sun had left, and only a hint of orange light remained in its wake. "We're all tired from the long travel. Let's rest for a few hours. Once our energy is back up, we'll keep going again."

"I'm sure Sokka stole some maps from the library," I said.

"Who told you that?!" Sokka said, his face suddenly inches from mine.

"I was _there_. I watched you steal them."

Sokka sat back. "Oh." A grin curled on his lips, and he giggled.

"Can I see those maps?" Katara said.

Sokka shook his arms, and his bag slid off his shoulders. "Here ya go."

Katara took the bag and sifted through the scrolls stuffed inside. She pulled out a map and a star chart. She looked up at the sky. "Ashe, can you help me with this?"

I climbed to my feet. I set Momo, still cradled in my arms, on Sokka's chest. The two stared up at the sky with child-like wonder. By the time I walked over and sat down next to Katara, their snores filled the air.

"First, we should find the North Star," Katara said. She pointed to the end of a tail of stars connected to a trapezoid. "It's at the end of this group called the Little Dipper."

I looked up at the sky. The stars had awoken at last, and a blanket decorated the blackness. "Oh," I pointed at a spot in the sky, "there it is."

"Then north is that way. Thanks." Katara placed a finger on the map and traced it carefully across the paper. As I watched, she stopped and glanced at me. "Did Sokka say something that upset you? Back at the library?"

I looked at Katara, then back at the map. "It's fine. Sokka being Sokka, that's all. I don't even remember what he said."

"All right…" Katara studied my tired face. "Get some sleep, okay? I'll wake you up in a few hours."

I nodded and laid back on the ground. I rolled over, my back facing her. I untied my water skins and laid the one with water beside me. I used the empty one as a pillow. Patting it a few times to make it comfortable, I rested my head on it. The air was cool, but Katara's warmth soothed my back. I closed my eyes.

* * *

"Ashe," Katara whispered, "time to wake up. We need to get moving again."

My eyes were sealed shut with sand. I rubbed them clean and opened them. I sat up slowly. I winced and rubbed the crick in the side of my neck. Katara offered a hand. My legs trembled like jello as I stood.

"Did you manage to get any water?" she said.

I crouched and picked up my waterskins. My muscles screamed. I popped the lid off the full one and peered inside. "It's almost half full."

A relieved smile filled Katara's face. "Thank goodness. There's only a few drops left in mine. Thank you."

I nodded, sealed the waterskin close, and tied them back on my waist. Katara stirred the others, and we gathered our things and headed out.

My body protested. The nighttime and cooler temperature were good enough motivation to take one more step. We trekked silently, neither of us even looking at each other. I focused on Katara, who walked at the head of the group. The baby hairs on the back of her neck were stiff and curly from sweating. Her braid bobbed lightly against her back with each trudging step.

"Ow!" Toph hissed, followed by a faint thud in the sand. We turned and saw her facedown in the sand. She sat up with a frustrated wince and gripped her foot. A piece of curved wood jutted a foot out of the sand. "That's _it_! If I take one more step in this stupid desert, I'm going to scream! Who the heck leaves their boat lying out in the middle of nowhere?!"

"A boat?" Katara perked up. "Really? Are you sure?"

" _Yes_ , I'm sure. I kicked it hard enough to tell what it is. Any harder, and I would have uprooted it."

Katara crouched and ran a hand along the smooth wood. Aang walked over, gripping his staff.

"Stand back," he said stoically. Katara obeyed. Aang swung his staff, yanking the sand from the ground. It cleared in a few seconds, revealing the boat in its entirety.

"It's one of the sandbender's boats!" Katara said. She hopped on and climbed to the top. "It appears to be undamaged. We can use this to travel! Aang, you can use your airbending on the sail to make the boat move. See, everyone? We're saved!"

We climbed on the boat. Aang used a gust of wind to clean out the sand sitting inside the sail. Katara stood at the top of the boat, hovering over a post with a compass at the top. She tapped it. She unrolled the star chart.

"This compass isn't pointing north," Katara said. "Maybe something's wrong with it?"

"Nothing to fret about, Princess Gumdrop," Sokka said dreamily at Katara's feet. "You gotta have faith in your servants. I'm sure they know how to fly this giant cookie."

His machete was in his hand, and he twisted his wrist lazily. His head tilted side to side, following the motion of the weapon. Katara snatched it from his grip and tucked it on her side. Sokka pouted and folded his arms, muttering a low "humph." Katara rolled her eyes and gave Aang a nod. Aang thrust his hands out, and a column of wind struck the sail. The boat lurched forward, speeding over the sandy plains. We hit a dune, and we caught air for several seconds. The boat smacked against the ground. I pressed my back against the post to avoid flying off the vehicle.

We rode for several minutes. In a fraction of the time, we covered more of the desert than we did during our travel yesterday. Katara peered up from the map.

"Look up ahead!" she said. We looked and saw a giant rock in the distance. "So _that's_ what the compass is pointing towards. That rock must be the magnetic center of the desert."

"Did you say rock?!" Toph said, quickly jumping from sitting to kneeling. A bright smile filled her face. "Let's go there!"

Katara nodded. "We can use the elevation to our advantage. There might also be something there, like water."

"Or sandbenders," Aang mumbled, quiet enough to go unheard by Katara. The hatred in his voice sent a chill down my spine.

The sun started to rise by the time we reached the rock, breaking apart the dark sky. We hopped off the boat and climbed up the inclined path that wound along the side of the rock. Near the top, I noticed a cluster of caves carved into the rock. As soon as we reached the top, Toph sighed and flopped onto the ground.

"Oh, earth. How I've missed you so," she said. She kissed the dirt.

Katara examined the map and scanned the horizon. Even from this vantage point, there was nothing but sand as far as the eye could see. Sokka stared into the distance as well, taking deep, slow breaths.

"What's inside there?" I said. I walked to the edge of one of the caves and peered inside, but I could only see a few feet inside.

"Let's find out," Sokka said.

A glob of mysterious, yellow substance oozed from the ceiling and plopped on the ground, a few feet in front of us. I shuddered.

"I'm not taking any suggestions from you," I said.

"I'm fine, now. I think my head's finally clearing up," Sokka said.

"And yet, that doesn't assure me."

Toph stood and joined us. She took one step inside, planting her feet against the ground. She rested her hand against the wall. "This cave doesn't feel like it was made naturally. Something carved it this way."

"Look at the shape of it," Aang said. Looking past the gooey, yellow substance, I noticed the cave was carved hexagonally. "The wind didn't do that."

"There's also… something buzzing deep within…" Toph straightened and jumped out the cave. "And it's coming towards us!"

A buzzard wasp broke out of the darkness with a screech. Sokka cried out and fell on his butt; the buzzard wasp zoomed over him. Sokka yelped and reached for his machete, only to remember it was no longer at his side. He leaped to his feet.

"Give me that!" Sokka yanked his weapon from Katara's side. The blade cut the rope, and Katara's waterskin hit the ground. The top popped off, and the last of her water spilled on the rock.

"Sokka!" Katara cried. "That was the last of my water!"

"Let this be a lesson to never take my stuff!"

A buzzard wasp lunged at Katara and Sokka. Aang swung his staff, and a gust of wind smacked into the buzzard wasp. It slammed against the side of the hive. A few moments later, more buzzard wasps emerged from the caves. We hurried away from the cave entrances.

"We need to get out of here! We're in no shape to fight these things!" I said. A buzzard swooped down. I gasped and lost my balance. One foot slid off the edge of the rock. Toph pivoted her foot and jutted out her fingers. The rock extended, rose into a wall, and caught me. "Thanks."

"Ashe is right," Katara said.

A buzzard wasp snatched Momo in its arms and took off.

" _Momo_!" Aang cried. He sprinted to the edge of the rock and leaped off. He extended the wings of his staff and flew after the wasp.

"Come on, let's get moving! We'll meet Aang at the boat," Katara said. She placed her hands on Toph's shoulders and led her down the path. Sokka and I followed close behind.

The swarm followed us down the side of the rock, their hisses filling the air. One tried to get close, and I pulled water from my waterskin and whipped its wing. The wasp screeched and stumbled in the air, crashing into another one. They both fell.

"Throw a rock on your left," Katara said, hiding behind Toph. Toph stomped her foot against the ground, breaking a rock from the ground, and launched it at a buzzard. It smacked into its torso and knocked it out of the sky.

We continued to move down the inclined path. The swarm hovered above us, and they slowly lowered to the ground, inching closer and closer.

Thick, large columns of sand erupted from the ground like geysers, consuming some of the wasps while others barely escaped. Those that were missed scurried back up to the top to hide inside their hive once again.

"Wow! I didn't know you could do that!" Sokka said to Toph.

"I didn't," Toph said. " _They_ did."

My eyes were already scanning the clan of sandbenders that parked several feet from the rock. They climbed off their gliders and stared at us from afar. Aang returned and landed in front of us. Momo flew to our side. Nearly every sandbender concealed their entire bodies with their robes; some left their eyes uncovered, but some had masks over them. One man stood in front of the rest, his head uncovered. The top of his head was bald. Around the back, connecting to his sideburns and beard, the hair was dark brown. Another man, much younger with long hair tied back in a ponytail, stood next to him.

"What are you doing with a sand glider from the Hami Tribe?" he barked.

"We found it abandoned in the desert," Katara said.

The younger man let out a mocking laugh. "Right! And I'm a professional Pai Sho player!"

Toph tensed beside me.

"We're telling the truth. Our bison was stolen by sandbenders, and we've been stranded in this desert. We're traveling with the Avatar, and we're on our way to Ba Sing Se."

"Accusing our people of a heinous act?! Enough of your lies! Tell us the truth, or we'll force it out of you!" the younger man said.

"Quiet, Gashwin!" the older man said. Gashwin stood down.

Slowly, Toph raised her arm and pointed at Gashwin. "You," she said. "I recognize your voice."

"What are you talking about? I've never seen you before in my life," Gashwin said.

"You might not remember hearing him, Ashe, because you were unconscious, but I do." Toph said. She narrowed her cloudy eyes. "You're the one who stole Appa."

"They're lying!" Gashwin said.

A column of air rushed past us, violently whipping my hair against my tender shoulder. It slammed into a glider, destroying it on impact. Aang stomped past us, his knuckles white from gripping his staff so tightly.

"Where is my bison?!" he said. He swung his staff again, destroying another glider. The wind ripped off the robes and masks decorating some of the sandbenders' faces.

"Gashwin, what did you _do_?" the older man said.

"I-It wasn't me!" Gashwin said.

"Yes, it was!" Toph said. "It was _your_ voice that ordered Appa to be muzzled and tied."

"You… _what_?!" Aang growled.

His eyes and his tattoos glowed white. He slammed his staff against the ground. Geysers of sand, like the ones from earlier, erupted once more, sending sandbenders into the air and consuming the remainder of the gliders. Only ours was left.

" _Tell me where he is!_ " Aang said. His voice overlapped with a dozen others, making it low and frightening, almost demonic.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't know he belonged to the Avatar!" Gashwin said. "I traded him with some merchants. T-They're going to Ba Sing Se to sell it."

The ground rumbled. The air began to sweep underneath our feet, picking up our clothes.

"Let's move!" Sokka said, grabbing Toph's arm and pulling her away. We scurried away as a ball of air expanded around Aang. He started to lift into the air, a scene I remembered vividly from back at the Southern Air Temple.

"Katara!" I called as she remained within the air bubble. A thick cloud of sand swirled in the air, completely overwhelming my vision. I squinted and shielded my face to keep the grit out of my eyes. As the sand cloud expanded, my vision cleared slightly. I peered through and into the center of the storm, where Katara had pulled Aang into her arms, bringing him back to the ground, and held on tightly.

All at once, the storm dissipated. The air cleared. From here, I could hear Aang's quiet, whispered sobs.

His repeated phrase, "I'm sorry," hung in the air. His apologies directed to more than one being- to the friend at his side, to the friends watching from afar, and to the family he had lost.


	30. The Serpent's Pass

The river caressed my ankles as I waded in it. I kicked my foot and sent sprinkles of water into the air. I stretched out my hand, and the droplets stopped falling and hovered in the air. Aang floated down the stream on his back. Once he floated next to me, I released my hand, and the water rained on him. Aang scrunched his face and sputtered.

"Hey!" he said. I chuckled.

"Got it!" Sokka called from the riverside. He was hunched over a map, and he sat up straight. Near him, Toph splashed her feet in the water. She looked over her shoulder.

"Did you find the path we need to take to get to Ba Sing Se?" Katara said as she filled her waterskin.

"Yup," Sokka said. He pointed on a spot on the map. Aang and I climbed out of the water and joined the rest of the group. "Here's the desert, and here's where we are right now. There's a straight pass that leads right to Ba Sing Se, called the Serpent's Pass."

"And that's the only way?" Toph said.

"With how we are right now, yes." Sokka stole a glance at Aang, who watched with eyes half-open in disinterest. He said nothing.

"Hello!" a voice called. We lifted our heads and saw a family of three- a mother, a father, and another woman, who looked to be our age, maybe older- appear over the crest of the hill and approach us. "Are you travelers like us?"

"Yes. It's nice to meet you," Aang said as he stood. Sokka scowled mildly at their presence. "I'm Aang."

"I'm Than, and this is my wife, Ying, and my sister," the man said. "Are you by any chance traveling to Ba Sing Se?"

"We are," Katara said.

"So are we! We're trying to get there before Ying has our baby." Than reached over and gently caressed his wife's swollen stomach.

"If you'd like, we can travel with you. We're heading through the Serpent's Pass."

The trio travelers' eyes flew wide open, as if Katara said something vulgar. "The Serpent's Pass?!" Ying said, placing her hands on her stomach. "Are you crazy? Only the insane would go there!"

"Is there… something wrong with it?"

"It's an incredibly deadly pass," Than's sister said. Her voice was incredibly quiet; I had to strain my ears to hear her. "Very few who decide to cross it live to tell the tale."

"Wow," Toph punched Sokka's shoulder, "great direction skills, Sokka."

"That's the only option we have," Sokka said.

"Not so," Than said. "We're on our way to Full Moon Bay. It's known for ferrying refugees to Ba Sing Se. It's the fastest and safest way, and it's hidden, so the Fire Nation can't find it."

"You still want to go down the 'incredibly deadly pass'?" Aang said to Sokka. Sokka, his nostrils flared with a sharp exhale, rolled up the maps and folded his arms.

"Fine," he said.

* * *

We followed the trio travelers into a cave. We came to a dead end. Than walked over and knocked on the wall. A few moments later, the wall rumbled and lowered, courtesy of two earthbending guards on the other side. We stepped through, and the wall closed behind us.

The ferry port was filled with people, each dressed in plain-colored rags. Tents were set up in a line. I saw a mother feeding her young son some mush.

"I never knew so many people escape to Ba Sing Se," Katara said. "How many do they transport every day?"

"I don't know an exact number, but I can assure you it's a lot," Than said. "With Ba Sing Se as the world's last stronghold, many people travel there so they can be safe and find a better life."

We approached the passport attendant. A pair of guards carried away a man, petrified from shock. I did a double take; he looked familiar.

"Five tickets, please," Aang said to the attendant. She was a short, older woman who stood on a tall platform in order to see over the podium. She wore a perpetual scowl.

She gave Aang a once-over. "Passports?"

"Um… we didn't know…"

Toph placed a hand on Aang's shoulder. "I got this," she whispered. She stepped before the podium, fishing something from her pocket. She pulled out a green piece of paper with a golden seal on it. Stretching her arm as far as she could, she placed the document on the podium. The attendant gasped. "My name is Toph Beifong, and I need five tickets to Ba Sing Se: one for me, and one for each of my valets."

"But what about that animal…?" the attendant said.

"It's my seeing-eye lemur," Toph replied coolly. "Now, if you could hurry up with those tickets. I don't want to slow down the line."

"O…" The attendant eyed the document. "Of course, Ms. Beifong."

She stamped five tickets in a row.

"Thank you," Toph said. She grabbed the tickets and the document. She handed us each our ticket, and we walked away, careful not to look like we were in a rush to get out of there.

"Nice scamming," Sokka said.

"My time in the ring has its benefits."

We headed for the dock to wait. As we walked, Katara stopped and looked around.

"What's wrong?" I said.

"Sokka isn't with us anymore," Katara said.

"He was just here," Aang said. "Did he get lost?"

"Guys!" On cue, Sokka's voice bellowed behind us. We turned and watched him approach us with one of the guards following close behind, their fingers intertwined. "You'll never guess who I found!"

"Sokka," Katara said warily, "don't tell me you were hitting on the security guards."

"No! Look!" Sokka stepped aside so we could see the security guard. She was dressed in a uniform of white and different colors of green. Her auburn hair was tied back, allowing us to see her blue eyes. "It's Suki!"

We collectively let the realization sink in, and we exclaimed.

"Really?!" Katara said. "You look so different without the Kyoshi makeup."

"I know! Isn't she pretty?" Sokka said. Suki smiled politely.

"Are the other warriors here?" Aang said, ignoring Sokka's comment.

"There are a few of them. After you left Kyoshi Island, we helped escort some refugees. We've been here ever since," Suki said. "We wanted to find a way to help people, and this opportunity came up. I never expected to meet you here. Why not fly to Ba Sing Se on Appa?"

The group fell silent. We all snuck glances at Aang, who kept a stoic expression.

"He's not with us," Aang said. He noticed our worried looks. "Why are you all looking at me like that?"

"We're just… worried, that's all," Katara said.

"Don't be. I'm fine. Stop wasting your energy on me and focus on what's more important."

"Avatar!" Aang straightened and looked over the railing of the tower. Than and his family stood on the ground below. "Please, help us! All our belongings and passports were stolen. We can't get on the ferry without them!"

Ying covered her mouth as her shoulders shook. Than rested his hands comfortingly on her shoulders. "Is there anything you could do?"

"I'll talk to the attendant. I'm sure she'll understand," Aang said. He turned to us. "Wait here."

Aang hurried down the stairs, staff in hand, and led the family back to the attendant's podium. Even from here, I could see her flailing angrily at Aang, and his cringing as he jumped from her shrieks. He walked back to the tower. We stood and climbed down the steps to meet him on the ground.

"That… didn't look good," Katara said.

"She won't give them new tickets, and we can't give them ours," Aang said.

"What are we going to do?" Than's sister whispered.

Aang turned and faced the family. "There's nothing to worry about. I'll see that you make it to Ba Sing Se."

"How?" Ying said, her eyes wet with tears.

Aang rolled his shoulders back. "I'll escort you through the Serpent's Pass."

Toph cleaned her ear with her pinky. "I'm sorry, did I hear that right? It sounded like you said we're going through the Serpent's Pass. You know, the 'incredibly deadly pass' that has a survivability rate of zero."

"What other choice do we have? We don't have Appa. We can't give them our tickets and get new ones." Aang looked at Than. "I give you an Avatar's promise that I'll see you and your family safely across."

They looked somewhat comforted, but fear was fresh in their eyes. We went back to the attendant, returned our tickets, and headed for the exit.

"Wait!" We paused at a voice and turned. Suki, now dressed in her Kyoshi warrior armor- makeup and all (how she put it on so quickly, I have no idea)- jogged towards us. "I'm coming with you."

"Are you sure about this? Aren't you need here?" Sokka said.

"I think you guys might need me more. Protecting people is what I do," Suki said. She examined Sokka's face. "What, do you _not_ want me to come along?"

"No! That's not what I meant." Sokka put on a smile. "It's great to have you with us again."

Suki returned the smile and passed him. Sokka turned around, revealing a slightly deflated look.

* * *

We passed underneath the wooden gate sitting at the base of the Serpent's Pass. The pass consisted of a single, very long, very narrow, and very steep path. We traveled in a single file line, with Aang leading the way and Sokka in the back to make sure everyone walked safely.

"Doesn't this path look like it could be made a little… wider?" I said.

"Maybe, but I doubt any work will be made on it," Suki said. "The Fire Nation controls the western lake. Along with rumors of this pass, there are rumors that the Fire Nation is working on something on the other side of this rock, and they want to keep it a secret."

As we walked, a small Fire Navy ship cruised in the water towards Ba Sing Se. My eyes followed it. As I placed my foot in front of me, I felt the ground weaken. My focus shifted, and I looked down and gasped as the earth underneath my foot started to crumble away. I yanked myself away and stumbled back into Toph. Katara caught the both of us. The small chunk of rock fell into the water below. I dared a peek over the edge and watched the earth fall into the lake.

"Sorry…" I said.

"The ship…" Ying said. "It stopped."

We looked over at the Fire Navy ship, and sure enough, it stopped moving. There was a moment of breathless silence. Then, something bright red lifted off the ship and sailed towards us- a fireball.

"They spotted us!" Sokka cried. "Go, go, go!"

Aang crouched and pushed off his feet, a giant gust of wind launching him into the air that shoved us against the wall of rock. As he drew closer to the fireball, he reeled his staff back and swung with all his might. A column of wind slammed against the fireball and sent it back towards the ship. It smashed into the watchtower, and the ship caught on fire.

"Come on!" Sokka shouted from the back. We scurried down the path, hiding where the path was hidden with rock walls on both sides. Aang flew to meet us.

"They can't bother us now," he said. He looked at the sky. "The sun will start setting soon. We should find a place to camp for the night. We'll start early tomorrow morning."

We found a small plateau and claimed out spots for the night. As I lay out my blanket, I looked up and met my gaze with Katara's, who had been watching me from her spot.

"What's wrong?" I said.

"Nothing," Katara said.

"It's obviously something."

"You've been quiet for the last few days."

"Oh." I flashed a smile. "I guess I've been missing Appa a lot these days."

Katara stared at me for a few moments. "Okay, if that's what it is." She stood. "Good night."

"Good night," I said, a little too enthusiastically.

Katara walked from the campsite. I shifted off my knees and laid down on the blanket. The earth was mostly smooth, but I could feel a couple pebbles sitting underneath the blanket and digging into my legs and side. I tucked my arm underneath my head as a pillow substitute.

Now as I thought about it, I couldn't _remember_ most of the last few days. I remembered vividly the scene of Appa being taken away by sandbenders, but after that, things were hazy. I recalled small parts of our journey through the desert, but the next thing I remembered, we met Than and his family and were traveling through the Serpent's Pass. I feel like I've been taking a backseat for a while now…

" _I'm doing this for the people I want to protect. I don't see_ you _doing anything!"_

I was angry at first with Sokka for what he said, but… I guess there was truth to his words. What _am_ I doing? I haven't contributed at all to our journey to Ba Sing Se: Toph got us the ferry tickets, Sokka found Suki, and Aang, even after losing his best friend, is able to keep a level head and defend us against a hurtling Fire Nation attack. All I've done is daydream and be mad.

I clenched my hand laying in front of me. I relaxed my muscles and closed my eyes.

 _No more…_

* * *

A thin layer of clouds sat around us when we awoke, fogging the area with a haze. We arose after the sun had finished rising, and the lake was bathed in early morning light. We gathered our things and continued our trek through the pass. It was a downward slope at this section, so we were able to travel at a faster pace. We reached the bottom of the slope while the sun was still new.

We stopped at the foot of the slope. We stared at the water lapping against the earth. The path had been swallowed up by the lake, and we gazed at the visible stretch of land on the other side, several yards away.

As people hung their heads, I looked to Katara. She gave me a small smile and nodded.

"Everyone, get in single file," she said. "I'll lead, and you anchor."

I nodded. Katara stepped in front of the group and pushed her arms out to the sides. The water split apart, revealing the buried path. We continued to walk. As I stepped onto the path, I swirled my arms in a large circle, closing the water over us and encasing us in an air bubble. Schools of fish in many different colors and shapes swam past us.

A few more steps in, and the fish scattered. A large, several mile-long shadow slithered across the water. The fish regrouped, some missing several members of its herd. We froze.

"What… is that…?" Katara said, breathlessly watching the shadow slink out of our sight. We looked between each other, each of us radiating the terror the others felt.

A large body burst through the air bubble, in one end and out the other. Water cascaded in voraciously, consuming the space and our oxygen. Toph slammed her feet into the earth and punched her arms up. The sliver of earth we stood on rose from the path, pushing us through several tons of water and to the surface. People coughed from the water and from their hoarse throats due to their terrified screams.

The water broke next to us, and a long stretch of green fin circled around us like a pack of hungry sharks. The fin returned underneath the water, and the surface exploded like a geyser. Water rained down on us as we gazed at the several story-tall, green serpent. It opened its mouth wide, like a snake prepared to eat its prey, and uttered an ear-piercing shriek.

"Uh… guys…" Sokka said, his knees trembling. "I think I know why they call it The Serpent's Pass."

"Katara, get everyone across. I'll distract this thing," Aang said. He pounded the end of his staff against the ground and extended the wings. He leaped off the rock and flew towards the serpent. Cutting to the right, the creature followed him.

"I'll help Aang. Ashe, help everyone get to the other side," Katara said.

I faced the lake and slid into a side lunge, stretching my arms out to the side, my fingers tense. The surface water froze. I stepped onto the ice to ensure its security and gestured for the others to follow suit. One by one, everyone cautiously stepped onto the ice. As I watched people pass by and step onto the other side, I looked back to the small rock.

"Toph!" I called to the earthbender as she remained on the rock. "You have to cross!"

"No, thanks!" she said. "At least on rock, I know where I'm going!"

I jogged back to the rock. "Take my hand. We'll cross together."

I stepped onto the rock and stretched out my hand. Toph reached out warily and grasped my hand. Her iron grip ached my fingers. Placing my other hand on her back, we stepped onto the ice. As soon as we did, the serpent slammed against the rock, shattering it to pieces.

"…Let's hurry," I said, and I gently pushed her to move her forward. With each step, her grip on my hand tightened. I winced internally, keeping an eye on the distance left and the serpent.

"How far are we?" Toph said.

"A few more steps. You're doing great," I said.

I turned my head and gasped as the giant serpent's body started to fall, its giant shadow looming directly over us. I stomped my foot against the ice, and a column of it burst at a diagonal, launching us towards the land. Sokka and Suki opened their arms, and we crashed into them, the four of us landing in a pile.

"Are you okay?" Suki said.

"Yeah." I sat up and looked back at the ice. A large patch of ice disappeared under the serpent's body when it landed. The impact caused the entire bridge to break off, and it floated down the stream and away. In the lake, the serpent spun sporadically in a giant whirlpool created by Katara and Aang. The serpent fell underneath the water, and the two returned to the group. Quickly, we turned and continued down the path.

After several inclined and declined slopes, we made it to the other side of the Serpent's Pass. I found myself exhaling a sigh of relief. There was a single road nestled in a large plain of hills and dunes on each side, but on the other side of it was the Ba Sing Se wall. It stood, proud and invulnerable, visible above even the highest dune. Compared to the Pass, this stretch of land would be unbearably easy.

As we took a step forward, Ying let out a painful cry. Her hands clutched her impregnated stomach, and she doubled over. Than and his sister were immediately at her side.

"The baby…" she gasped. "It's coming!"

"What?!" Sokka cried. "Can't you… try and hold it in?!"

"That's not how that works, Sokka," Suki said.

"It's okay," Katara said. She turned to Ying. "I've helped my grandmother deliver babies before. You're in good hands. Toph, I want you to make a tent. Suki, lay out some blankets. Aang, bring me some rags. Ashe, use your bending to get us fresh water."

We split into our roles. Toph created a large tent, and Katara escorted the family into it. Suki followed closely behind, her arms full of blankets. I shuffled through our supplies and pulled out a bowl. I waved my arms in the air, thin layers of water climbing to my arms and fingers. After several times of repetition, the bowl was full of water. I lifted it, my arms sore from the exercise, and hurried into the tent. Katara accepted the bowl with a grateful smile. I awkwardly stepped out of the tent.

An hour passed, and we heard the quiet, infant sob. We looked between each other and hopped to our feet. We entered the tent one by one. Ying lay on the ground, propped up with extra pillows. In her arms was her baby girl. Her sobs had calmed, and she lay silently with her eyes closed.

"She's beautiful," Katara said. "What are you going to name her?"

"I have a name," Ying said. She gazed at her child. "Hope."

"I like that name," Than said.

Aang smiled, the first time in many days. "Me, too."

We left the tent to give the family some time alone with their new addition. Aang gripped his staff in both hands.

"You know…" he said. "After we lost Appa, I started to lose hope. But after seeing this miracle… I know what I need to do now." He turned to us. "I promise I'll find Appa as fast as I can. We'll come find you guys. Until then, be safe."

"No need to worry about us. Focus on finding Appa; we can take care of ourselves," Sokka said, placing a hand on Aang's shoulder.

Aang smiled. "Thanks. I'll see you all soon."

Aang tapped the end of his staff against the ground, and the wings extended. He lifted into the air and flew towards the wall.


	31. The Drill

With a new addition to the group, we started down the path towards Ba Sing Se. The closer we came to the Outer Wall, the faster we found ourselves walking. We could see the end of the rock walls on either side of us, and the path opened to the large, flat plain.

As we gazed at the wall, something flew towards us. Aang, on his glider, flew down to greet us. He landed in front of us, his face stoic, but his eyes revealing tinges of fear.

"…Aang?" Katara said. "Did you find Appa?"

"No. Something much more important caught my attention," Aang said. He turned his back to us. "Come on."

We looked between each other and followed Aang down the path. We left the walled-up path and into the open plain. The air opened instantaneously. I craned my head up to look at the wall; I could barely see the top from this angle. My eyes followed the wall as it seemed to stretch out to the sides forever.

I stopped walking when my eyes found something in the distance. Even from this distance, I could see how large it was. It stretched across the horizon. It moved slowly and towards the wall. Tiny ant specks followed around it.

"Aang," I called. Aang stopped and turned to me. He followed my gaze to the contraption in the distance. "What… is that?"

I asked, but I already knew what it was. Aang knew as well.

"We need to hurry," he said.

We arrived at the wall. We grouped closely together, and Aang and Toph pulled the chunk of rock off the ground. Like an elevator, we ascended the Outer Wall of Ba Sing Se. I watched the contraption take its full shape and size. It was a giant drill, made completely out of charcoal black metal; the drill part took up one-third of the machine. A giant Fire Nation symbol was painted in a darker shade on its back. The ants riding alongside the drill were Fire Nation tanks.

"It sounds big," Toph commented.

I nodded, a few moments later followed by, "It is."

We arrived at the top of the wall. We helped Than and his family climb onto the wall. Once we were all safely off, Toph and Aang motioned their arms, and the rock descended back towards its spot in the earth.

"Hey!" a stern voice called. We looked and saw two guards, who noticed our presence. "What are you doing here? No civilians are allowed on the wall."

Aang took a few steps away from the group and planted the end of his staff against the rock, creating a small clank. "I'm the Avatar," he said. The guards looked surprised. "Take me to whoever is in charge."

The guards looked between each other, then back at us. "This way," the first one said.

We followed the guards across the top of the wall. Aang requested Than and his family to be escorted into the city. We said our farewells, and the family expressed their thanks for our help. A small group of guards escorted them the other way. We arrived at the office of the commanding officer.

"Hello, Avatar," the officer said. "I wasn't expecting a visit from you. I am General Sung. What brings you to Ba Sing Se?"

"The drill. I know you've seen it," Aang said. "I'm here to help you stop it."

"It is true that this drill poses somewhat of a threat, but let me be the one to tell you that your help is not needed," Sung said. "I assure you I have the situation completely under control. This wall is impenetrable; nothing has nor ever will be able to break through."

"What about the Dragon of the West?" I said, my arms folded. " _He_ broke through."

Sung stiffened. "That… is true… but he only broke through the _Outer_ Wall. He was quickly taken care of before he could reach the Inner Wall," he said quickly.

I raised an eyebrow. _Only?_

"As I was saying, there is nothing to fret about. I have sent an elite group of earthbenders, known as the Terra Team, to assess and handle the issue."

Sokka crossed his arms thoughtfully. "Hm… The Terra Team. I like it," he said.

General Sung stood from his desk. "Come with me and see for yourself."

We followed General Sung back outside. We walked to the edge of the wall, where a telescope sat propped against the wall.

"Have a look." General Sung gestured to the telescope.

Aang walked over and pressed his eye against the eyepiece. The rest of us watched from the edge as groups of earthbenders hurried towards the drill and lifted large columns of rocks into the drill in attempt to keep it in place. The drill stopped for a few seconds, until the columns were shattered.

"Uh… General," Aang cleared his throat and stepped away from the telescope, "I think _you_ should have a look."

General Sung peered into the telescope. Two tiny figures appeared on top of the drill and slid down the side to greet the earthbenders. I leaned forward and squinted to try and get a better look, but the distance was too great. However, I noticed one of the figures flipping through the air like a hungry flea. One by one, earthbenders fell.

I stood straight. "Oh, no," I said.

Mirroring my thoughts, General Sung threw his arms in the air and screamed, "We're _doomed_!"

Toph folded her arms. "What was that you said about not needing the Avatar's help?"

With his head hung low, General Sung shuffled over to Aang. "Please help us, Avatar."

Aang nodded. "Of course."

* * *

The immobile Terra Team members were carted into the infirmary. Pulling from a water skin, I covered my hands in water and knelt next to one soldier. Katara knelt on the other side. We laid our hands on an arm.

"What's wrong with him?" General Sung said.

"Nothing. At least, not physically," Katara said. She pulled her hands away. "His chi is blocked." Katara looked at me. "You think this could be…"

I nodded. "There's no one else I know that can move like what I saw."

"Well?!" Sung said impatiently. "Who did this?"

"A girl named Ty Lee. She knows the human body, and she utilizes that knowledge to incapacitate someone. Rather than harming you on the outside, she renders you powerless from the inside," I said. "I bet the one with her was Mai. And if those two are aboard the drill… I have no doubt that Azula is there, too."

" _Princess_ Azula of the Fire Nation?" General Sung said. His face paled. "We're _really_ doomed…"

"Oh! Oh, oh!" Sokka cried suddenly. "Ashe! Repeat what you just said!"

"Um… If Mai and Ty Lee are aboard the drill-"

"No, before that! What you said about Ty Lee!"

"Rather than harming you on the outside, she renders you powerless from the inside…?"

"That's it!" Sokka opened his arms wide and faced all of us. "The drill is impenetrable on the outside. If we try and stop it that way, we'll get nowhere. The _inside_ , on the other hand…"

"Is just as vulnerable as a team of useless earthbenders!" Toph cried.

"We're right here…" the soldier Katara and I knelt next to hissed.

"That's how we're going to take down the drill- from the inside!" Sokka said.

"Great idea, Sokka," Aang said. He turned to General Sung. "Stay here and watch over your earthbenders. Ty Lee's chi blocking is temporary, and they should be able to move again soon. We'll take it from here."

* * *

We climbed to the base of the Outer Wall and to the trenches the Terra Team created.

"I'll create a dust cloud to hide us. Once it's up, you won't be able to see very well, so pay attention and follow closely," Toph said. "After that, you guys find a way inside."

"You're not coming with us?" Katara said.

"I can't bend inside that metal machine. I'll try and slow it down from the outside."

"Sounds like a plan," Sokka said.

Toph hopped out of the trench and lifted her arms. Tensing her fingers and muscles, she tucked her arms against her torso and stomped her feet together. A large, thick dust cloud erupted from the earth.

"Run!" she called, and she charged into the dust cloud. We scrambled out of the trench and followed her. I could barely see Katara's swinging braid in front of me as we ran blindly through the dust. I ran until Katara suddenly came to a stop, and I bumped into her. We stood on the side of the drill. Up close, it was _much_ larger. Standing so close to it, it looked as tall as the Outer Wall.

Toph circled her arms, and a circle of earth churned in front of her. She stomped her foot, and a hole opened. "This way."

One by one, my friends hopped in. I took a deep breath, plugged my nose like I was a child preparing to cannonball into a lake, and jumped into the hole. The top closed behind me, leaving us in pure darkness. I blindly reached the other out until I found Katara. I gripped her shoulder, conscious not to cling too tightly. Katara stopped, and so did I. Another hole opened, showering light into the tunnel. We climbed out of the hole, and Toph closed it. We were underneath the drill. The roaring and rumbling was intense, and it made my teeth rattle.

"There's an entrance." Sokka pointed to an opening that slowly approached.

"Good luck," Toph said.

We ran to the entrance, leaving Toph behind. There was a loud clang as she summoned a column of earth and shoved it into a crevasse on the drill. Aang jumped, grabbed onto a pipe, and hung upside-down. He reached his arms to us. We jumped up, grabbed his hands, and he pulled us into the drill. Inside, the only lights were red, creating a heavy, dark atmosphere. We wandered around the internal pipes.

"Now, I need to get some schematics of this drill…" Sokka said. He stopped at a notch of a pipe and smiled. He unsheathed his machete and swung, chopping the notch clean off. Mist burst from the pipe and filled the air. "What better way to get a copy than from an engineer?"

We heard footsteps, and we scurried to hide. An engineer, his face hidden behind a gas mask, approached the broken pipe. Katara stepped from her hiding place and twisted her arms. The air grew heavy as the mist hardened to ice. The engineer turned around, but only halfway before he was frozen in place. Sokka ran over and pried the schematics out of the engineer's hand.

"Thanks!" he called, and we ran out down the hall. We climbed some stairs into another section of pipes. Sokka paused, unrolled the schematics, and set them on a pipe. He analyzed it for a few moments.

"According to these blueprints, it looks like the drill is made of two parts." Sokka pointed to the center. "We're here in the inner mechanism, and then there's the outer shell that surrounds it. The outer and inner parts are connected through these braces." Sokka traced his finger along the braces. "If we take out the braces, the entire thing will collapse."

With Sokka in front, we navigated deeper into the inner mechanism. We found the braces, which were connected directed to the path. We climbed down the metal and approached one.

"It's going to take forever to cut through just one of these," Aang said.

"We have three waterbenders. Katara, Aang, you can work together on one brace, and Ashe can take work on another," Sokka said.

"That still doesn't solve our time issue," I said. "Even with the General and Toph trying to slow it down, who knows how close the drill is to the wall now."

A deep, low groan filled the drill. The metal rumbled.

"What was-?" Katara said.

" _Congratulations, crew! The drill has made contact with the Outer Wall!_ " a voice through the intercom said. We could hear the distant cheers of crew members.

"Correction- we _don't_ have any more time," I said. "How are we going to cut through _all_ of these braces?"

Aang walked over and placed a hand on the brace. "Maybe… we don't _have_ to cut all the way through," he said. He turned to us. "If there's one thing Toph taught me, it's to never give one-hundred percent of your energy into one strike. Rather, you deal a couple blows to throw off your opponent's balance, then you deal the final blow. Instead of your force knocking them down, it's their weight from their weakened stance."

"So, we just need to cut partway through all the braces, then deliver a final blow," Katara said.

"Exactly," Aang said. He looked towards the intercoms. "We better get started now; we don't have much time. This is now a race against time. Ba Sing Se- the whole _world_ \- is counting on us to stop this drill."

"The whole world minus the Fire Nation," Sokka said. He looked at me. "…No offense."

I gave him a squinted expression.

"Let's go," Aang said.

He and Katara went to one brace, and I to another. Standing on both sides, they slowly cut through the steel by moving water between them. I pulled the water out of one waterskin and mirrored them, slicing the water through the metal as I pushed it away and pulled it back to me. Once I reached halfway through the brace, I stopped. I pulled the water back into my waterskin and wiped the sweat off my forehead.

"Great job," Aang said as he and Katara finished the brace they were one. "Now, let's move to the next ones."

We repeated the process with all the braces. We reached the final two.

"Good work, guys!" Sokka said. "Now, once we've taken care of these two, we can-" Sokka's focus was snagged by something else. "…DUCK!"

We looked to where Sokka's gaze was, just in time to see a column of blue flames flying towards us. We dropped onto our stomachs, and the fire soared over us. We scrambled to our feet. Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee stood on a metal beam above us.

"Look at that, Azula! It's the Avatar!" Ty Lee said. She waved her arm. "Hiii, Ashe! How are you?"

My neck shrunk between my shoulders. "Let's go before we get another fireball to the face," I mumbled.

We hurried down the metal beam and down the hall. At a fork in the path, Aang stopped.

"You guys get out of here. I'll take care of the drill," Aang said.

"Take my water. You need it more than we do." Katara pulled the waterskin off her hip and tossed it to Aang. Catching it in one hand, Aang took off down the hall. Sokka, Katara, and I ran the other way.

As we ran, I glanced behind me. Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee stopped in the wall and looked down both ways. As they discussed how to split up, I looked forward and saw a clutter of pipes. I slid behind them. Sokka and Katara continued to run. A few moments later, I heard more footsteps. As they passed, I peeked my head out. Ty Lee and Mai chased after Katara and Sokka. I crawled out from behind the pipes and ran the other way, the way Aang and Azula ran. A long ladder sat at the end of the hall, and I grabbed the rungs and climbed as quickly as I could. I reached the top, and as I stepped onto the ground, something clanged behind me. I looked and saw a red and black knife sitting on the floor. My eyes widened. I dared a peek down the ladder.

Mai was climbing the ladder after me. Our eyes met. She reached into her robe. I jumped away as a series of three small arrows launched from the hole and hit the ceiling. They fell limply against the metal. I removed a portion of water from a waterskin and soaked the rungs of the ladder, right as Mai grabbed them. I clenched my fists, and the rungs and her hands were covered in ice. Mai tried to pull her hands off, but to no avail. I used the rest of my water to seal the top of the ladder closed. I turned on my heel and continued to run. I ran into a boiler room, which was crawling with engineers. I ignored them as I quickly ran through them and up the stairs. I reached another ladder. As I climbed up it, the hatch at the end was open, and I could see the sky. I reached the outside.

I quickly looked around from the top of the drill. It was still moving. At the end, the drill and the Outer Wall had become one. Rocks fell from the top of the wall, courtesy of General Sung and his soldiers, and slammed against the drill in a hopeless effort to stop it. Hopping among the rocks, trying not to get crushed, was Aang. I ran towards the end. As I drew closer, I saw one rock carved into a point.

A blast of blue fire appeared near my feet. I lunged forward and over it. I tucked inward and somersaulted onto my stomach. I looked and watched Azula sprint past me and towards Aang, who began to scale the Outer Wall. I pushed onto my feet and chased after her. I watched her back, which was filthy with dirty water. In fact, her body was covered in it, as well as the front of the drill where it met the wall. I skidded to a stop and thrust my arm outward and toward Azula, twisting it as I did so my palm faced the sky. I clenched my fingers, shaping them like I was holding a large ball. I scooped both my arms upward. A gush of dirty water soared towards Azula and coated her. She reeled back a few feet. While she did, I swiped one arm diagonally. Azula lurched sideways and hit the ground. The dirty water soaking her clothes hardened and weighed her down. She looked at me, hatred coursing in her golden irises.

I looked towards Aang, who sprinted back down the wall. He leaped off the wall and fell towards the rock like a shooting star. A large pipe stood behind me. I scurried behind it as Aang slammed into the rock. A shockwave of air pulsed down the drill. The air slammed into the pipe, and I almost lost my balance. Azula soared down the drill, carried away by the shockwave.

The drill groaned and came to a stop. Once the air stopped its violent rampage, I stepped out from behind the pipe. The front of the drill was covered in a thick layer of sludgy water. Aang, coated in several layers of the sludge, wiped his face so he could see. Our eyes met. Aang smiled and flashed a thumbs-up. I sighed, smiled, and returned the gesture.

* * *

"Excellent work, Team Avatar!" Sokka said as we regrouped at the top of the Outer Wall.

"Team Avatar? Where did this come from?" Katara said.

"Those earthbenders had a cool team name. I thought it'd be nice if we had one, so… Team Avatar!"

"Good luck getting that to stick," Toph said.

"I kind of like it," Aang said.

"See?!" Sokka said.

"Let's discuss this once we're inside the city," I said. "Besides, I think most of us here could use some… washing up."

I eyed my friends, who were all coated in sludge water. Sokka lifted his dirty arm to his nose and smelled it. His face contorted, and he gagged.

"She's right," he said. He flashed a devious smile, and he stepped closer. "Hey, Ashe…"

I shot a glare at him and clenched my fist. Sokka stopped as the sludge water froze him almost completely solid, save his face.

"Don't even think about it," I said.

"Yes, ma'am," Sokka whimpered.

I relaxed my fingers, and the water melted. Sokka's clothes hung on his body.

"Does this count as a bath?" he said.

"No!" Katara, Toph, and I cried simultaneously.

"All right, all right! Geez..."


	32. The Tales of Walls and Secrets

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

 **This chapter is a combination of two episodes: City of Walls and Secrets and The Tales of Ba Sing Se. Ashe's tale is brief and is mixed in City of Walls and Secrets.**

 **I will be skipping Appa's Lost Days, so next chapter will be Lake Laogai.**

 **Happy reading!**

* * *

The Ba Sing Se train moved smoothly along the tracks, thanks to the earthbenders pushing it. I looked out the window and at the spacious acres of crops swaying calmly in the breeze. Farmers tended to their crops, and, having grown used to the train passing by several times a day for several years, ignored it. The Inner Wall grew closer.

"I can't believe we finally made it to Ba Sing Se," Katara said. She sighed. "It feels like we've been traveling forever." She looked at Aang, who leaned against the wall with a slightly bowed head. "Aang, don't worry. We'll find Appa."

"Maybe, after a couple years. Ba Sing Se is a _huge_ city," Aang said.

"Oh, come on. How big can it be?"

We passed through the Inner Wall and into the city. The railway left the city divided in sections, and each was crammed with houses and stores. There was another wall miles away on the other side, hiding the next level of the city.

"O-Oh… It's a _little_ big," Katara said.

The train stopped at the station, and we boarded off it. After a few minutes, the train left.

"You have finally arrived, Avatar!" We turned and watched a woman with long brown hair and a yellow and green dress approach us. Her smile took up the lower half of her face, and it was so big and bright, it grew creepier the longer I stared at it. "I am Joo Dee. I will be your escort as long as you are in Ba Sing Se. We are pleased to have you here. Living arrangements have been made for you; I hope you find them most comfortable."

"Before we do that, could you show us the way to the Earth King's palace? We need to discuss something about the war with him," Sokka said.

Joo Dee stiffly turned to Sokka. "You do not need to concern yourself with that. You are in Ba Sing Se now. Everyone is safe here," she said. "Now! Let's begin the tour!"

Joo Dee walked past us and down the stairs. We looked between each other and reluctantly followed her. An ostrich horse-drawn carriage awaited us at the bottom of the stairs. We climbed into it and sat down on the plush seats. The coachman snapped the reins, and the carriage moved forward.

"The lower ring is home to our newest arrivals, as well as craftsman and artisans. It's a very quaint and lively section of the city," Joo Dee said.

"How many sections are there?" Katara said.

"Many." Katara gave Joo Dee a puzzled look, who responded with a bright smile.

"Well… why _are_ there so many sections?"

"To keep order and balance in the city. I do advise you watch your step while in this section of town. Not everyone is as… nice."

I looked out the window at the citizens we passed by. The carriage was more fancy and luxurious than perhaps the entire section. Everyone we passed by were dressed in rags or clothes that were tattered from years of use. We passed by an alley, where two men conversed. One of them held a scimitar, and at the sight of the carriage, he scowled and raised the sword. The blade caught the sun's rays and blinded me. I flinched and sunk into my seat.

The carriage left the lower ring. As we headed through the wall and into the next section of the city, I noticed the grimy smell start to clear.

"The middle ring is home to the financial districts, the university, and fine dining," Joo Dee said. "The town hall, the oldest building in the city, is also located in this ring."

"University? Hey, we met a professor that worked at the university. We found a library in the middle of the desert, and we discovered some interesting information about the war," Sokka said, "you know, what I mentioned when we _first_ arrived in Ba Sing Se and how I said that it was _absolutely crucial that we took it to the Earth King_."

"A library? I bet you found many fascinating things!"

Sokka gawked, flabbergasted. He turned to us and silently gestured to Joo Dee as she looked out the window. We shrugged.

We traveled to the upper ring, which gave us a grand view of the rest of the city. While the middle ring had simple, yet sophisticated homes, the upper ring had large mansions and palaces.

"As our most important citizens, your house is in the upper ring. We should arrive very soon," Joo Dee said. We passed by a pond decorated with lily pads and white calla lilies.

We entered a large courtyard, which sat in front of a palace larger than any other we've seen. The Earth kingdom symbol stretched across the brick.

"What's in this building?" I asked.

"This palace is home to the Earth King," Joo Dee said. "Over by the entrance, you'll see a few members of the Dai Li, Ba Sing Se's police. They protect and guard our sacred traditions and cultures."

At the entrance to the palace, three men dressed in matching black and dark green robes conversed. They paused and turned to give the carriage and us suspicious, dirty looks.

"Since we're here, can we see the Earth King?" Aang said, his chin propped in his hand. He wore an impatient, unamused expression.

"Oh, no, no! You cannot visit the Earth King without scheduling an audience with him."

" _Now_ you're listening to us?" Sokka said. "When is the soonest we can speak with him?"

"It just so happens that I received notice before you came here. The wait will be about a month."

"A _month_?!"

"Six to eight weeks, to be more precise. Much shorter than normal; usually processing can take up to years."

The carriage came to a halt in front of a large house.

"Here we are!" Joo Dee said, oblivious to our exasperated expressions. She opened the carriage door and hopped out. We followed her inside. The front room was large and very spacious, only a few pieces of furniture scattered around the room. "Cozy, isn't it?"

"I'm sorry, but is there any way we can see the Earth King sooner?" Aang said.

"I'm afraid not. The Earth King is very busy."

Aang sighed and ran a hand over his arrow. "Well… if we're going to stay here this long, we might as well spend it searching for Appa."

"If transportation is what you need, I will be more than happy to escort you," Joo Dee said.

"Thanks, but it's not necessary…"

"I insist. Else, what kind of host would I be?" Joo Dee had moved to the front doors and blocked them.

We snuck glances at one another.

"Okay…" Aang said. "Take us to the nearest pet store."

"Absolutely!"

* * *

We traveled through the middle ring, but we were unable to find any information about Appa. Those who we approached gave us nervous expressions as we asked questions, their eyes searching around for an answer and their brows spontaneously gleaming with sweat. After only a few minutes of conversation, each person we came across promptly found an excuse to leave, whether by their own agenda or by kicking us out of the store. We returned to our house.

"I'm sorry you were unable to find information about your bison. In the meantime, you should rest. Dinner will be delivered at evening," Joo Dee said from the window of the carriage. The coachman snapped the reins, and the carriage drove out of sight.

"Well," Toph said, "today was a bust."

"Am I the only one who feels uneasy about this whole thing?" I said. "Everyone in the city is acting strangely."

"It's definitely not just you," Aang said. "With Joo Dee, the city's segregation, and everyone's quick dismissiveness about the war… something's going on in this city."

"Maybe we can ask that guy." Toph pointed to the house across the street. A man who had been watching us through the window of his door quickly hid his head.

We crossed the street and knocked on the door. The door opened, and an older man with white hair tied back in a braid and green robes smiled.

"You're the Avatar, right?" the man said. "Welcome to Ba Sing Se! Is there something I can help you with?"

"Yeah, actually," Sokka said. "Tell us something- why is everyone in this city so afraid to talk about stuff like the war?"

"War?" the man said, but his eyes did the same nervous searching as everyone else. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do," Toph said. "I can feel your trembling."

The man looked around and lowered his voice. "Look. Nobody here talks about the war. _Nobody_. It's best if you do the same. And if I were you, I'd steer clear of the Dai Li. You don't want them knocking on your door. Now, I'm sorry, but I have important business to tend to. Goodbye."

The man shut the door in our faces.

"Oh, yeah," Sokka said, "something's definitely going on here."

* * *

The next morning, while we were waking and getting ready for the day, Katara burst through the front door.

"Guys!" She hurried up the stairs to the dining area. In her hands, she clutched a scroll. She unrolled it and read it. "Look at this. The Earth King is throwing a celebration for his pet bear…" She paused. "Hm… it just says bear. Weird…" Her excited smile returned. "But that's not what's important. _This_ is our chance to get into the Earth King's palace and speak with him!"

"Please," Toph said, "you wouldn't even make it to the stairs."

"Excuse me?"

"Look, I don't mean to be the one to burst your bubble, but you guys aren't… fit for these types of occasions. The best of the best of Ba Sing Se are attending this event. If we are to have any chance of getting in, we need to act like _we're_ the best, too."

"How hard can it be?" Aang said.

"Actually, the 'we' I was referring to was me, Ashe, and Katara. You two clowns are beyond saving."

I slowly raised my hand. "As much as I enjoy putting myself in situations that could get me thrown in jail- and I've already gone through that- I would prefer to stay home tonight."

"Fine, then. Katara, I'll help you learn enough etiquette to pass off as a wealthy lughead."

Toph and Katara spent the entire afternoon locked in one of the bedrooms. By nightfall, they had finally emerged, dressed in fancy green robes. Their hair was tied back- Katara's up and Toph's down in braids- with golden headdresses.

"How do we look?" Katara said. Aang opened his mouth to speak, but Toph raised the fan in her hand over Katara's face.

"Don't speak to the commoners, Katara," Toph said. Katara pouted. "Now, let's be on our way."

Katara smiled apologetically and gave us a small wave as the two girls left the house.

"Well… now what?" Aang said. "Do we wait for them to come back and report?"

"Looks like it." I gripped my ankles as I sat on the floor with my feet pressed together.

The night continued to pass in excruciatingly painful silence. A stomach growl finally broke the silence. Two more followed shortly after. We looked at each other. I stood.

"I can go get us something to eat while we wait," I said.

"Something meaty, please," Sokka called as he lay on the floor.

I walked to the door, and as I opened it, Momo flew over and sat on my shoulder.

"You want to come with me?" I said. Momo purred. I looked over my shoulder. "We'll be back within an hour or two."

* * *

Moments like this, walking alone through the city in near complete darkness, made me a bit grateful that we were in the upper ring rather than the lower ring. An image of the man with the scimitar entered my mind, and I released a shudder.

I arrived at the diner, ordered, and paid for food. Once it was ready, they brought it out to me in a thin, cloth bag. I thanked them and left the diner. I pulled out a fortune cookie and handed it to Momo. He snatched it and nibbled it excitedly.

As I walked through the peaceful streets of the middle ring, I passed by a quaint shop with a sign that read, "Pao Family Tea House."

"What do you think, Momo?" I said to the lemur. "Would some tea go well with our dinner?"

Momo twitched his ears. The end of his tail, which was wrapped around my arm, bristled.

"I'll take that as a yes."

I approached the entrance and walked though the front door. I stopped and looked around the restaurant. Chairs were smashed and lay in pieces. The tables were flipped, some even split in half. Strips of wallpaper had been torn off and dangled limply. I carefully walked around the destroyed furniture as I approached the counter, which had only a few scuff marks.

"Um… excuse me?" I called.

The back door opened, and a man wearing dark green robes and a tan apron emerged.

"Welcome to Pao Family Tea House. I am Pao," the man said. "How may I help you, miss?"

"I'd like some tea, please," I said. "One cup."

"Absolutely. I'll have that right out. If you'll have a seat."

I glanced around at the restaurant; all the chairs were destroyed or damaged. I grabbed a stool that seemed the least damaged and sat at the counter. I watch Pao pour some premade tea into a cup. With a smile, he set it down in front of me.

"Thank you." I paid him a coin for the tea. "Um… if I may ask… What happened to this place?"

"Ah. Well… There was a bit of a scuffle between a local and one of my employees," Pao said. "The riffraff kept spouting nonsense, accusing my workers to be people they're not. The poor thing; he wasn't right in the head. The Dai Li came and arrested him, but now I'm left to amend my innocent restaurant."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I guess there are many different personalities in this city."

I lifted the tea cup to my lips and took a sip. I paused. A shiver rushed down my spine. I looked at the tea rippling inside the cup and took another sip.

 _This tea is so… familiar…_ I thought. _It tastes just like…_

I set the tea cup down and shook my head. _No way. What am I thinking?_

My feet gently kicked back and forth as they dangled off the stool. I glanced at Pao as he cleaned a dirty tea cup.

 _It's ridiculous of me to ask…_

"Um… excuse me," I said anyway. Pao faced me. "This tea is very delicious. Who made it?"

"My finest employee! An uncle and nephew duo just recently arrived here, and the uncle, Mushi, makes the absolute greatest tea! Everyone from the middle ring, even people from the _upper_ ring, come to try this tea. It's wonderful for business."

My shoulders relaxed, and I smiled. _See? How foolish of me to believe something so extreme. What are the odds of running into them in this giant city? Heck, running into them anywhere in the Earth Kingdom?_

"It tastes very similar to the tea a close friend used to make. He's very passionate about it," I said. I finished the tea and set the cup down. "It was delicious. Thank you."

Pao bowed as I stood and headed to the door. "Thank you for your patronage. Please come again."

I smiled and left the shop. The tea warmed my stomach. As I walked, Momo flew off my shoulder and over to a fountain in the distance. He sat on the edge and sipped from the fountain. As I drew closer, the lights surrounding the fountain came more into view. Lanterns sat around the fountain, as well as on the surface of the water. Each lantern was lit. The fire reflected off the water and danced in the darkness. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

I noticed a few people at the fountain; an old man sitting at its edge and practicing calligraphy; the woman of a couple pointing at one lantern while the man looked only at her; a bearded cat jumped onto the fountain edge next to Momo and joined him in drinking the water. It was a peaceful scene.

The peace was quickly interrupted as something grabbed my arm and yanked me back. The food in my hand fell out and splattered all over the ground. I tried to scream, but something clung to my mouth, preventing me from making any sound. I was sucked into a dark alley. As I looked at the fountain, I saw Momo being taken as well. The bearded cat watched with a tilted, curious head. The lights were snuffed out from my vision.

* * *

"So, you got caught," I said with my arms folded.

My friends and I stood in a line before a man with a long, black braid. He wore the same robes as the Dai Li. I was taken to the Earth King's palace. Aang and Sokka were also here, which I deduced to be from either two things: they were taken out of our home or they snuck into the party like Katara and Toph did. I leaned more towards the latter option.

"It is an honor to have you here, Avatar," the man, who introduced himself as Long Feng, said. He was the head of the Dai Li, "but I believe you've interrupted an important event on behalf of the Earth King."

"We wouldn't have needed to if we were allowed to talk with him!" Sokka said. "Explain that to us!"

"Simple: the Earth King doesn't have the time to listen to the tedious complaints of every citizen."

"We have vital information about the war that could put us at an advantage."

"And he certainly doesn't have the time for politics and military squabbles. All of those types of issues are brought to me."

"What are you saying? He's the Earth King! He's Ba Sing Se's ruler! How is he supposed to protect his people if he doesn't pay attention to these kinds of things?"

"The Earth King _does_ protect his people. He protects their culture and traditions. Now, I don't know if you haven't guessed by now, but mention of the war is strictly kept outside the city walls. Are you aware of what will happen if you go around, bringing people constant news of an escalating war? Chaos will arise. People's peaceful lives will be thrown out of balance, and they will enter a state of panic. Our traditions, our cultures will disappear. In refraining from speaking about the war, Ba Sing Se remains the last perfect and peaceful utopia on Earth. Do I make myself clear?"

"You plan on keeping people ignorant? You plan on keeping the truth from them?" Aang said. "I won't let that happen. I'll tell every single person in this city what's going on."

Long Feng's scowl deepened. "I thought we could handle this civilly, but it appears I am truly speaking to a bunch of children. And if you are going to behave like children, you will be treated as such." He stepped closer to Aang and leaned close into his face. "From this moment forward, you will be watched by Dai Li agents every moment of your stay here. Any mention of the war will result in expulsion from the city." Long Feng stood straight and turned his back to us. He approached the glowing green fire sitting in a furnace a few feet away. His skin and clothes glowed with a green tinge. "It would be a shame, since you came all this way to look for your bison."

Aang froze. His eyes ignited into hatred as he glowered at Long Feng. If looks could kill…

"We are done here." Long Feng sat in his seat once again. The doors opened, and Joo Dee entered. "Joo Dee will escort you home."

Her hair was much shorter, hovering at chin-length, and some bangs sat on her forehead. Her eyes were a gray instead of brown. Even her smile, which was just as blinding, was different. She had dimples carved in her cheeks, which were prominent when she smiled. The shock coursing through all of us made it clear- the woman standing in front of us was not the same Joo Dee we met when we first arrived in this city.

"I am Joo Dee. I will be your escort as long as you are in Ba Sing Se."

The smile Joo Dee gave us had no positive or warm radiance. Instead, it only fermented the fear inside us all.


	33. Lake Laogai

We spent the day making and spreading missing posters for Appa. The next morning, Aang left to spread a second batch of missing posters via his glider. Sokka and Katara played a game, Toph bounced a ball against the wall, and I read a book from the small library in the house.

Aang opened the door and hurried inside. "Any news about Appa? Did anyone come by?"

"It's only the second day we've started spreading the word. Now, we need to be patient," Katara said, wrapped up in the game. She placed a tile on the table, and Sokka eyed it suspiciously. Aang's shoulders slumped, and he sank into the seat next to the Water Tribe siblings.

There was a knock at the door. Aang sprang to his feet.

"Wow! Rewards _do_ come to the patient!" Aang sprinted to the door and opened it. "Joo Dee?"

Joo Dee, the _first_ one who greeted us when we first entered the city, stepped into the room, a smile on her face.

"Greetings, Avatar and friends," Joo Dee said.

"Where were you the night of the Earth King's party? Did you get in trouble with the Dai Li?" Katara said as we all stood and joined her at the door.

"What?" Joo Dee laughed. "Oh, of course not."

"You disappeared that night. Some other chick also named Joo Dee escorted us home," Toph said.

"What a coincidence. Joo Dee is a very common name in the Earth Kingdom, especially Ba Sing Se. I had taken a short vacation to Lake Laogai. It's a very wonderful and peaceful site," Joo Dee said. She pulled out one of the missing posters. "I have come to address this. It is not permitted in Ba Sing Se to drop posters and hang up fliers. Only those with clearance from the city may do so."

"How else are we supposed to make any progress in finding Appa?" Aang said. His expression grew impatient when Joo Dee arrived. "We can't see the Earth King, so we have to take measures into our hands until we can."

"Perhaps I can reword myself to make it clear: you are _forbidden_ from further sharing these posters around the city." Joo Dee's smile remained, but her eyes were frightening.

Aang tensed, and his face grew red. " _You_ don't have the right to tell us what to do! _I_ say we're going to look for Appa, and we're going to _do_ that! Stay out of our business!" As he yelled at Joo Dee, he slowly backed her out of the house. He slammed the door in her face after his last sentence. He huffed a deep, angry breath and turned to us. "I don't care what Long Feng, Joo Dee, or the Dai Li say. We're going to do whatever it takes to find Appa."

"This is probably going to bite us in the butt," I said.

"Then we'll bite back harder. I want my bison back."

* * *

We split up across the lower ring to hang up more posters. Katara and I walked together through a small village square. Katara cradled a stack of posters in her arms while I lugged a small container of glue in my hands.

"It looks like we'll have enough posters to cover this area and a couple more blocks," Katara said. "After we regroup, we'll gather more posters and cover the next few blocks after that."

"Can I help you with that?" a familiar voice said. Katara and I looked at each other with wide eyes. Slowly, we turned.

Jet approached us from a street. He wore the same smirk he always had. This time, he didn't have a piece of barley in his mouth. The closer he got, the deeper Katara's scowl etched into her face. I gripped the handle of the glue container. Katara leaped forward, swinging her arms, and extracted the water from the square's fountain. Jet froze.

"Wait-!" he cried before the water slammed into him. He spiraled to the ground and scrambled to his feet. He pulled out his hook swords. "Katara, stop! I've changed!"

"You expect me to believe you so easily?!" she said. She chased him into a nearby alley. I hurried after her, the glue container still in my hands. "There is nothing you have to say that I want to listen to!"

She pulled some water from the pool sitting in the street, froze it, and launched icicles at Jet. He swung his hook swords and deflected them, backing up completely against the wall at the end of the alley.

"I'm not up to anything, I swear! I just want to help you," Jet said. He held out his hook swords and dropped them. They clattered against the cobblestone.

Katara stood straight. She wore a surprised, yet skeptical look as she studied Jet. Jet started to reach for something behind his back. My eyes widened. I dropped the glue container and thrust my arms towards Jet. The glue in the container gushed out and coated Jet, gluing him to the wall.

"Guys!" Aang called as the others jogged down the alley. "We heard the commotion. What's going on?"

"Jet's back," Katara said. Everyone looked and gawked at Jet.

Aang took a step closer to Jet. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to help you look for Appa." Jet shifted his hand, revealing a missing Appa poster. "I heard you lost him, and he's somewhere in Ba Sing Se. I want to help."

"We don't _need_ your help," Katara hissed. "This is probably another one of your schemes."

"It's not! I promise! I came here alone; I left the Freedom Fighters behind me. I've changed."

Katara folded her arms. "How do we know you're telling the truth?"

Toph scooched past us and walked up to Jet. She placed her hand on the wall. "He's not lying. If he was lying, his body would have a physical reaction, and I would be able to sense it. Jet's telling the truth."

Katara turned her head away with a pout.

"All right. We'll let you help," Aang said. Katara looked at Aang with a betrayed look.

"Aang-"

"If we're going to find Appa, we can use all the help we can get. We should give Jet a chance."

Katara let out a long sigh. "Fine." She glared at Jet. "But I'm keeping my eye on you."

Aang turned to Jet. "Do you have any information?"

"I work at a place near a barn. I heard two guys talking about a large furry creature being kept within. I figured it could be Appa."

Aang straightened. "All right. Take us there."

"Um… if you could let me go first…" Jet looked down at his body, encased in glue.

Everyone looked at me. I reluctantly uncapped my waterskins and pulled the water out. I drenched Jet and his glue-covered body. After a few moments, after the glue softened, I bended it off Jet. He stood straight and rolled his shoulder.

"Thanks," he said. He picked up his hook swords and sheathed them. I stood straight, not giving a reply.

* * *

We followed Jet to another section of the lower ring.

"Something about this… isn't right…" I said.

"What do you mean?" Aang said.

"Jet isn't holding any animosity towards me… you know, because I'm from the Fire Nation."

"He said he had changed. Maybe that included his hostility against the Fire Nation?"

"He somehow let all of that go in such a short amount of time? I find it a bit hard to believe…"

Aang faced forward, a thoughtful expression as he studied Jet.

The barn was empty, save an old man sweeping the floors. Piles of hay lay against the corners of the room.

"We're too late…" Aang said.

"Are you trying to pull something again?!" Katara said.

"No! I already told you what I know. Have your earthbender friend be your lie detector again!" Jet said.

"My name is _Toph_ ," Toph said. We wandered the barn.

"How do we even know if it was Appa was here?" Aang said.

As I searched the room, I noticed something on the floor. I walked over and picked up a tuft of soft, white fur.

"Guys," I called. I turned and approached them. "I think this is Appa's."

Aang took the tuft of fur and ran his fingers through it. "It is," he said. His face deflated. "It looks like we just missed him."

"About time they carted that beast out of here," the old janitor commented. Aang's ears perked, and he whirled around. "I was getting sick and tired of cleaning up after it."

"He was here? When did they take him? Where did they go?"

"Came by earlier today to get him. Took him to some remote island."

"What's the name of the island?!"

The old man sighed, pulled out a handkerchief, and dabbed it against his forehead to wipe off the sweat. "I was told some rich guy on Whaletail Island bought him for his zoo. They're taking him there."

"Thank you!" Aang paused and turned to us. "Where's Whaletail Island?"

Sokka opened the map. His face fell. "Very… very far from here," he said. He laid the map on the ground and pointed to a small area on the southern end of the map. "It's all the way down here, by the South Pole. It'll take us weeks, even _months_ to get there."

"I don't care. That's where Appa is, so we're going, too."

"Aang's right. This is our main priority. When we find Appa, we'll fly back here to Ba Sing Se and see the Earth King," Katara said. We headed for the door.

"Let me come with you," Jet said.

"And _why_ would we do that?" Katara said.

"I'm on your side. I don't understand why you're so uptight." Jet turned on his heel and headed for the exit. Katara scoffed.

We left the barn and made our way through the streets.

"Jet?" a voice called. "Jet!"

We turned and saw Smellerbee and Longshot. Smellerbee rushed towards Jet and threw her arms around him. Longshot followed silently.

"I thought you said you left the Freedom Fighters behind," Katara said.

"I-I _did_!" Jet said. "What are you two doing here?"

"What are _you_ doing here? How did you get away from the Dai Li?" Smellerbee said.

Our eyes flew open. "The Dai Li?" Aang said.

"I don't know what she's talking about!" Jet said.

"You were arrested by the Dai Li and taken away a few weeks ago," Smellerbee said.

"That can't be true. I've been living peacefully here in Ba Sing Se! I haven't seen you guys in a long time."

"You really don't remember? You picked a fight with an employee in a tea shop and wrecked the place."

I straightened. "A tea shop? Was it Pao Family Tea House?"

"The name sounds familiar. I think that was it."

"I went there the night of the Earth King's party. The place was completely trashed. Smellerbee's telling the truth."

Toph walked between Jet and Smellerbee and placed a hand against the ground. "They're _both_ telling the truth… How is this possible?"

"That's because they _both_ think they're telling the truth," Sokka said. "Arrested by the Dai Li, only to later believe he's been living here in Ba Sing Se a changed man? Jet's been brainwashed."

"What?! That can't be!" Jet said.

"Get him."

"Stay away from me."

We all surrounded him and grabbed him.

* * *

We retreated to an abandoned house. We sat Jet in a chair while we all stood over him. He looked between all of us, confused like a little puppy.

"I bet this was a scheme by the Dai Li to lead us out of the city. If they're so desperate to drive us out of here, then Appa must be here," Aang said. "Where did they take you, Jet?"

"I don't know! I have no clue what you're talking about," Jet said.

"There must be something we can do to jog his real memory," Katara said. Her hand brushed against her waterskin. Her eyes lit up with an idea. She pulled the water out and stepped behind Jet. The water glowed blue. "This might help."

She pressed the healing water against the sides of Jet's head. Jet closed his eyes. As the seconds passed, his expression grew tense and pained.

"I… I remember something…" he said. "They took me to some headquarters underneath the water. Some kind of lake."

"Lake…" Sokka said. "Joo Dee mentioned before about taking a vacation to Lake Laogai."

Jet leaped to his feet. "Lake Laogai! That's it."

* * *

The next morning, we traveled to Lake Laogai. We stood on the shore.

"You said where you were taken was underneath the water," Aang said.

"Yes," Jet said.

Toph split from the group and walked a little bit down the shore. "There's a tunnel right here," she said. She jumped into a low lunge and thrust her fists forward. The water rippled as a path rose out of the water. We walked to the enter of the path. Toph bended the stone sitting atop the tunnel entrance. A long ladder led down to the headquarters. One by one, we climbed down the ladder and into the headquarters. We quietly walked down the steps. Jet stopped us at the end of the steps, leading into the tunnel corridors, as a pair of Dai Li agents turned the corner. He signaled us once the coast was clear, and we slowly traversed through the corridors.

"It's starting to come back to me," Jet said as he glanced around the area. He approached a door that was open slightly. We passed by it, peeking inside as we did.

A Dai Li agent stood near the door, his back to us, before a group of women dressed in the same robes as Joo Dee.

"I am Joo Dee. Welcome to Ba Sing Se," the agent said.

"I am Joo Dee. Welcome to Ba Sing Se," the women answered in perfect, haunting synchronicity.

"We are so lucky to have our walls to create order." Whatever the agent said, the women repeated.

"This is so… creepy…" I whispered. Anything louder than a hush carried through the tunnel.

"Yeah," Jet said. "I passed by the room Appa's being kept in. It's just a little further up here."

Jet turned the corner and brought us to a door. He shifted both hook swords to one hand and slid the door open. We stepped inside.

Most of the floor was empty. Appa wasn't in the room, but Long Feng was. A small group of Dai Li agents stood behind him.

"You have officially made yourselves enemies against the state," Long Feng said. He looked between each of us in equal disgust. "Take them into custody."

Another group of Dai Li agents dropped from the ceiling and surrounded us. Two launched the rock attached to their hands towards us. Toph shoved her way forward, lifted her arms up parallel with her body, and clenched her fists. The rock hands crumbled. She thrust her arms diagonally, and two pillars of earth erupted below them and threw them in the air. Jet charged towards two Dai Li agents.

I pulled the water out of one waterskin as a rock hand soared towards me. I swiped my arm diagonally in front of me, and a wall of water formed in front of me. As the rock plunged into the water, I encased it in ice. I shoved my palm against the ice and launched the ice containing the rock back to the Dai Li agent. It slammed into his stomach and sent him back. Something grabbed my forearm and jerked me to the side. I quickly approached the agent who had me within his grasp. As the air rushed into my face, I reached to my hip and tipped my waterskin. The contents spilled and spread. As the agent reached out to grab me, I clenched my fist. The water on the ground, underneath his feet, froze into ice. As the agent looked down, I lifted my clenched fist and drove it into his cheek. He fell to the ground, and I stopped being pulled by the rock hand. It fell off my arm, and I stumbled to a stop. I winced and shook out my hand. My knuckles throbbed. I rubbed them and looked around. Aang and Jet were gone, as well as Long Feng.

"Where did Aang go?" I said as I returned water to my waterskin.

"He and Jet went after Long Feng," Toph said. Unconscious Dai Li agents surrounded her. She pointed to a door. "They went that way."

We hurried to the door, which led to a long hallway. We ran to the end of the hallway, which was a dead end.

"They're on the other side," Toph said. As she made her way to the front of the group, she stopped. Her glazed eyes widened underneath her hair. "Someone just… went down…"

We looked to Toph, our eyes wide. She approached the wall and thrust her hands forward, then to the left. The rock moved, opening a path to another large room with many pipes.

Aang turned slowly. Jet lay on the ground next to him. A rock pillar protruded from the ground at an angle in front of him.

"Jet!" Smellerbee cried. She and Longshot ran ahead of us and to his side. Smellerbee fell to her knees. "What happened?!"

"Long Feng used a phrase to put Jet in a hypnotic state, and he started to attack me. I snapped him out of it, and he attacked Long Feng. Long Feng…" Aang gulped.

"Ashe," Katara said. I nodded, and we knelt at Jet's side. Pulling water from our waterskins, we pressed our hands against Jet's chest and torso. My face paled at the weak pulse of his heart. I looked at Katara. "This… isn't good."

"Leave Jet with us. You go find Appa," Smellerbee said.

"But…"

"It's okay," Jet said. His voice was soft. He mustered a smile. "I'll be fine."

Katara and I stood. We hurried to the exit on the other side of the room. As the door closed behind us, I heard Toph whisper, almost too quietly for me to hear:

"He's lying."

* * *

The room where Appa was being kept was empty. The shackles that held him to the floor laid on the floor, and tufts of his fur were scattered across the stone. Rays of light trickled into the room from the skylight high above us.

We found a tunnel out of the headquarters, which dropped us off on the opposite side of Lake Laogai. The lake was on one side, and a wall of jagged rocks on the other. We sprinted down the path. I looked over my shoulder and saw Dai Li agents jumped out of the tunnel and after us.

"Think we can outrun them?" Sokka said.

"There's no point!" Aang said.

We looked ahead and saw more Dai Li agents, Long Feng among them, in our path. They lifted the earth, creating a large wall. We skidded to a stop. The Dai Li agents drew closer and created another wall, boxing us in.

"This is the end, Avatar," Long Feng said. Aang scowled and gripped his staff.

Momo chattered wildly as he flew over our heads.

"Momo?" Aang said. Momo flew up into the sky, until the sun swallowed his silhouette.

Another silhouette appeared, growing bigger as it flew closer. A loud, low roar filled the air. Our eyes widened.

"Appa!" Aang cried with a smile so great, it consumed all of his face.

Appa swooped low and plowed through the walls. Dai Li agents were thrown into the water. As Long Feng began to stand, Appa walked over and grabbed him by the foot with his teeth. He jerked his head and launched Long Feng into the lake. He skipped several times like a pebble before plunging beneath the surface. Appa turned to us and purred. We ran towards the air bison and leaped into his soft fur.

"I missed you, buddy," Aang murmured into Appa's fur.


	34. The Earth King

"Isn't this great? Now the group is back together!" Sokka said as he patted Appa's leg. "This calls for a celebration! You know how we should celebrate? Hopping on our big furry friend and flying straight to the Earth King."

"After we've angered and kicked the butt of the man who's pulling the strings of Ba Sing Se?" Katara said. "Sokka, Long Feng and his Dai Li agents are going to have Ba Sing Se and the Earth King's palace even more tightly-secured now that we've thwarted their plans."

"I have a good feeling about this! Besides, if we want any chance of taking down the Fire Nation during the solar eclipse, we'll need the Earth King's support."

"I hope I'm not the only one who's noticed this, but things don't always seem to go smoothly or as planned for our ragtag group," Toph said. "I say we blow this conspiring, messed-up popsicle stand."

"I agree with Toph," Katara said.

"Well, I don't agree with either of you!" Sokka said. "This is the reason why we _came_ to Ba Sing Se, before we lost Appa. Ashe, Aang, back me up!"

"All our efforts to get here _would_ be wasted," Aang said. "We have Appa back, so getting into the palace grounds should be easier. We can't leave without at least trying."

"Because of Long Feng, the Earth King has no clue as to what's going on outside the city. If the Earth King knew, then maybe he can finally take action and change the city."

Katara folded her arms. "You have a good point…"

"You might want to switch to our side soon," Sokka said. He pointed into the lake. A small fleet of ship glided across the surface. "The Dai Li's looking for us."

Katara uncrossed her arms and nodded. "All right. Let's try."

* * *

"Oh, man, did I miss this!" Aang said over the screaming wind in our ears. "How are you guys holding up?"

"I hope the next purchase we make is for a new saddle!" Toph cried before burying her face in Appa's fur again. Without a saddle, we rode bareback. We clung to his fur while Aang rode at his regular seat on Appa's head.

Over by Lake Laogai, as we climbed onto Appa, cloud began to roll over the sky. By the time we flew to Ba Sing Se, the Earth King's palace within our sights, the layer of clouds engulfed the sky and darkened the land. It wasn't the greatest omen.

"We have to be careful. Long Feng's probably warned the Earth King about us coming," Katara said. "We can't expect smooth flying from here to the palace."

"Maybe we got here before Long Fe-AHHH!" Sokka screamed as Appa lurched to the side to dodge a flying boulder. "Okay, I definitely believe you!"

"What the heck was that?!" Toph said.

"It's the Royal Guard!" I said. Rows of earthbending soldiers covered the palace grounds, each equipped with a never-ending supply of boulders to hurl at us.

Aang, completely silent, seemed to be focused on something that was two steps ahead. A boulder flew towards us from the side. Instead of dodging, Aang thrust his hand out and caused the rock to crumble. He stood on his feet and swung his staff at another hurtling rock, slicing it perfectly in half. He leaped off Appa and slammed his staff into the ground. The earth erupted underneath him, traveling towards the soldiers like a tidal wave and throwing them aside. Appa landed, and we jumped off. We ran down the cobblestone path. Pillars lined the ends of the path, as well as more soldiers. Sokka, Katara, and I stood close to Appa as Aang and Toph deflected the chunks of rock the soldiers threw at us. While they were defenseless, Katara and I, her on the left and I on the right, swatted the soldiers with water whips.

"We're really sorry!" Katara cried as we passed.

We arrived at the moat just before the stairs to the palace. Soldiers lined the other side of the moat, and more stood on a layer of stairs above. The ones on the stairs used their earthbending to lift the two large badgermole statues behind them. They cast them down towards us. Toph and Aang created a dome of earth around us. The statues hit, the crash leaving me with ringing ears. I shook my head, and I sprinted out of the dome and towards the soldiers. They hurled rocks at me, and I lurched forward in a somersault as they passed over my head. I landed on my feet and continued running. I snapped my wrists, the tips of my fingers pointing towards the soldiers, and threw my arms into the air. The water from the moat below exploded into the air like a sudden tsunami wave. With a grunt, I thrust my arms down, crossing them over each other. The water fell and consumed the soldiers. As they lay on the ground, soaked to the bone, I jumped over the moat. Using a small bit of water to carry me the rest of the way, I landed on one knee and thrust my hand into the ground. The water froze. The ice spread as far as the water had gone and pinned the wet soldiers to the ground. My friends joined my side. I stood, and we hurried towards the stairs.

At the base of the steps, the soldiers above threw rocks down. More soldiers filed out of the palace and began their trek down the stairs. Toph stood in front of us and lifted her hands. The ground rumbled. She stomped her feet together and tucked her arms against her sides. The stairs flattened into a slide. The soldiers lost their footing and began their long tumble. Aang and Toph created an elevator with the ground and brought us to the entrance to the palace.

At the front room, there were several doors and hallways leading to other parts of the palace.

"Any idea where to go?!" Sokka said, looking around as Aang and Toph fought against the soldiers that trickled into the room.

"How about that door?" I called over the crash of smashing rocks. I pointed straight ahead, past the unconscious earthbending soldiers, to a pair of large, fancy doors.

"That looks promising!"

We hurried to the doors. Aang and Toph, using their air- and earthbending, blew the doors open. They fell against the ground with a crash that shook the ground. We ran into the room and stood before the Earth King, our weapons drawn. Long Feng's eyes widened, quickly overcome with hatred, as a line of Dai Li agents stood before the Earth King, poised to attack.

The Earth King was a young man, somewhere in his late 20's, with light green eyes and long, black hair tied back in a low braid. A pair of small glasses sat on his nose, and he wore a deep frown.

"We need to talk to you," Aang said.

"And why would I want to do that?" the Earth King said. "After everything you've done- breaking into my palace, taking down my guards, and _ruining_ my nice decorations- you think I'd so willingly listen to what you have to say?"

"We're wouldn't have needed to do this if we weren't denied an audience from everyone in the city!" Sokka said. "We're not your enemy. We have valuable information that you need to hear."

"Do not heed them, Your Honor," Long Feng said. "They are here to overthrow you."

The Earth King watched us. "If you claim to not be enemies, then drop your weapons and stand down."

We looked between each other and, silently, we dropped our weapons and withdrew our bending. Immediately following, the Dai Li agents standing before us thrust their palms towards us. The layer of rock covering their hands flew towards us and grabbed our arms, jerking them behind us and cuffing us.

"Detain the Avatar and his friends," Long Feng said. The Earth King's ears perked.

"The Avatar?" The Earth King said.

"Uh, yes, sir," Aang said. He used his bending to lift the rocks off his hands, wave, and cuff himself again.

"What does it matter who he is? He and his wretched friends are enemies of the state," Long Feng said.

The Earth King stood. "I'll hear what he has to say."

"Thank you, Your Earthiness." Aang stepped in front of us. "For the past one hundred years, a war has been going on between the Fire Nation and the rest of the world. The Dai Li has kept it a secret from you, as a conspiracy to control you and the city. Long Feng didn't want us to tell you about it, so he stole our air bison to try and blackmail us. He also brainwashed our friend!"

Long Feng turned to the Earth King: "All lies. I've never even seen an air bison before, Your Grace. I thought they were extinct."

The Earth King sat back in his throne. "I find your claims hard to believe. Unless you have any proof…"

"Wait!" Sokka cried. "I can prove it! Have Long Feng lift his robes."

"Excuse me?" Long Feng said. "I am not disrobing!"

"Fine, then." Sokka looked to Aang, who gave him a smile. Aang inhaled deeply and spewed a gust of wind at Long Feng. The wind swept under his robes and lifted them over his head. A large, red bite mark sat on his left leg. "See that? Our air bison bit him there."

" _That_ is a birthmark," Long Feng said. He peeled his robes off his face and patted them back down.

"I'm sorry, but unless you can prove that's a bite mark, I can't help you," the Earth King said.

"We can," Aang said.

Appa stepped forward, a grumble in his throat. He opened his mouth. Aang pointed to Appa's large teeth, which perfectly matched the size and shape of the mark on Long Feng's leg.

"That looks like proof to me," the Earth King said. He stood again. "But it still doesn't prove these conspiracies you claim. However… it's worth looking into. Release the Avatar and his friends."

We looked between each other in excitement. Long Feng, however, seemed very reluctant with ordering his agents to let us go.

* * *

The citizens aboard the train gave us bewildered stares. Or, rather, they gave the Earth King bewildered stares. He and a few soldiers were the only ones standing on the train.

"I've never taken a train before," the Earth King commented. "I had no idea it was this… public."

"You've never been outside the upper ring?" Katara said.

"I've never been outside the palace walls." The Earth King spoke with a smile, but it made Katara knit her eyebrows. "Now… may I ask where it is we're going?"

"We're taking you to Lake Laogai. That's where the Dai Li's headquarters is. It's where all the brainwashing and conspiracies take place," Sokka said.

The train stopped at the station, and we got off. We walked the rest of the way, back to the shore of Lake Laogai. Toph approached the edge and performed the same move she did the first time to bring up the tunnel into Lake Laogai. The walkway emerged, but it was shattered. The tunnel at the end was gone.

"That doesn't look like a tunnel to me," the Earth King said.

"The Dai Li must have known we'd take you here and destroyed it," Katara said.

The Earth King grasped his hands behind his back. "Awfully convenient, don't you think? I let you bring me out of the palace so you could prove yourself. You're not doing a very good job at it."

As I stared at the broken tunnel, a burst of realization electrified my brain. I stood straighter and whirled around.

"Wait, Your Highness!" I said. "The Fire Nation constructed a drill meant to break through Ba Sing Se's wall. Princess Azula was there, overseeing the project. A few weeks ago, they almost succeeded. I guarantee it's still there. We can take you to the Outer Wall and show you."

"No Earth King has ever been to the Outer Wall," the Earth King said. "Give me one good reason why I should go with you."

"You said we could provide proof. This could be our proof!"

The Earth King looked at us skeptically.

"If you come with us, I'll let you ride on Appa," Aang said.

The Earth King straightened as he looked at Appa, who grazed from a small field nearby. He looked at us curiously as weeds and dirt hung from his teeth. The Earth King smiled.

"Very well," he said.

* * *

As we rode through the air on Appa's back, the screaming wind was almost drowned out completely by the screams of the Earth King.

"Are you all right?" Katara called.

"Never better! I'm terrified, but… this is absolutely thrilling!" the Earth King said. His excitement faded. "I must be honest with you. What you've told me so far, about the war… part of me hopes that it's not true."

"I wish it wasn't," Aang said, his back to us.

As we flew over the farming acres in the lower ring, the Outer Wall came into view. We flew over to the other side.

"Look," I said.

The drill was still there. The soldiers had surrounded it with a wall of boulders to block it in. Slimy mud water still stained the wall, the drill, and the ground around it. Soldiers below trudged through it, the water up to their ankles.

"That's… the drill?" the Earth King said. "And they almost got into the city."

"Yes. If we hadn't stopped it, it would have been just like the Dragon of the West and the six hundred-day Siege of Ba Sing Se… which _also_ happened during the war, during _your_ reign," I said. "Except this time, they would have succeeded."

The Earth King stared baffled at the drill. We rode down to the top of the wall. The Earth King placed his hands on the stone and looked over.

"I had… no idea…" the Earth King said.

"I can explain, Your Majesty." We turned to Long Feng, who climbed to the wall via an elevator controlled by two Dai Li agents. "This drill is part of a construction project. There were some technical difficulties, however, and the machine malfunctioned."

"Why does your 'construction project' have a giant Fire Nation insignia on the back?" Katara said.

"It's imported, of course. You can't trust domestic machinery," Long Feng said.

"The Fire Nation is the most technological nation in the world. The chance of their inventions failing is very slim," I said. "Isn't it convenient that the drill happened to break while the Avatar was in town?"

Long Feng turned to the Earth King. "Are you really going to believe these children over me? Your loyal secretariat who has been by your side nearly your entire life?"

We looked to the Earth King, but his eyes never left Long Feng. His eyes squinted, and his eyebrows knit.

"Dai Li," the Earth King ordered, "arrest Long Feng. I want him to stand trial for his crimes against the Earth Kingdom."

Our jaws dropped as we looked to Long Feng, who wore a look of astonishment. The agents behind Long Feng thrust out their arms and clamped metal cuffs on Long Feng's wrists.

"You can't do this! You need me more than you know! Without me, you are hopeless!" Long Feng cried as the Dai Li agents took him away.

Once he was out of our sights, a wave of relief crashed over us. It felt like a weight had been lifted off our shoulders.

* * *

That night, back at the Earth King's palace, we stood before the Earth King in the throne room. He leaned against the armrests of his throne wearily. He looked deflated. His pet bear, Bosco, snapped at his feet.

"Thank you, Avatar and friends, for opening my eyes and showing me the truth," the Earth King said. "All this time, I believed Ba Sing Se to be a perfect, impenetrable metropolis. I believed that everything was just and balanced… but how wrong I was. It was merely a city of smoke and mirrors, and the ones producing those were right under my nose…" The Earth King buried his face in his hand. "We're at war… with the Fire Nation…"

"That's why we came to Ba Sing Se, Your Highness," Sokka said. "We discovered information about the Fire Nation that we believe will give us an advantage in the war."

"A comet is supposed to arrive this summer, which will give firebenders, including the Fire Lord, unbelievable strength," Aang said. "But we've discovered that very soon, a solar eclipse will come and block out the sun. The Fire Nation will be completely powerless. It is then that we can make our move."

The Earth King straightened his posture. "I don't know," he said. "That would require moving troops out of Ba Sing Se. We'd be completely vulnerable."

"You're _already_ vulnerable. Look how much Long Feng and the Dai Li have corrupted the city," Sokka said. "Meanwhile, the Fire Nation will not stop until Ba Sing Se falls. You're the Earth King. You're the one who's supposed to make decisions that will ultimately protect and better the people. Are you going to sit back and let this impenetrable city succumb, or will you join us in this fight?"

The Earth King cupped his chin in his hand. We watched him in breathless anticipation. He closed his eyes and smiled.

"Very well," he said. "You have my support."

We looked between each other with wide smiles. We cheered and scrunched together in a group hug.

Footsteps approached from behind us. An Earth Kingdom general walked down the path to the throne and stood next to us.

"Your Majesty," he said. He knelt and bowed close to the ground.

"General How," the Earth King said, "what is it?"

"We've finished investigating Long Feng's office." General How lifted his head. "We've found something that I think will interest everyone."

We perked at the news. General How stood, and we followed him to Long Feng's office. The Earth King sat at the desk while we stood in a line on the side. General How brought in a box and set it before the Earth King.

"The Dai Li have kept secret records of everyone in Ba Sing Se, including you kids," General How said.

The Earth King opened the box. A few scrolls were inside. He picked one up.

"For Toph Beifong," he read. He passed it to Katara, who opened it.

"It's from your mother," Katara said. "She's here in the city. She wants to see you."

Toph's face showed surprise for a moment before it morphed into disgust. "Long Feng intercepted our letters from home? Next, you're going to tell me that he eats baby koalaotters every night for dinner."

"For Aang." The Earth King handed a scroll to Aang.

"This scroll was found attached to the horn of your bison when the Dai Li captured him," General How said.

Aang unrolled the letter. "It's from the Eastern Air Temple. There's a guru there. He says he can teach me to control the Avatar State."

Katara placed her hand on the table. "Is… there a letter for us three?"

The Earth King sifted through the scrolls. "I'm afraid not."

"Oh…"

"There is, however," General How said, "an intelligence report that you may be interested in looking at."

General How handed the report to Katara. She opened it, and Sokka and I peered over her shoulders.

"A small fleet of Water Tribe ships protecting the mouth of Chameleon Bay…" Katara said. "Led by Hakoda!"

"Dad?!" Sokka cried. "No way!"

General How and the Earth King left to give us some privacy. We sat in a circle on the green rug in the center of the room.

"So… what now?" Aang said.

"I think… we should split up," Katara said.

"Split up? We just got the group back together. Why do you want us to separate?"

"There are so many important things going on. Aang, you have to see the guru; there's no doubt about that. If we're going to invade the Fire Nation, you need to be ready and have the Avatar State under control. Toph hasn't seen her mother since she joined our group, and we haven't seen our father in _years_."

Aang sighed. "Well… Chameleon Bay is on the way to the Eastern Air Temple. Appa and I can drop you off."

"Someone has to stay behind help the Earth King plan the invasion," Sokka said.

I looked between the Water Tribe siblings. "I'll stay," I said. They looked at me in surprise.

"Are you sure?" Katara said.

"Guys, this is your _father_ we're talking about. As much as I want to see him, I won't deprive either of his real children of this opportunity." I smiled. "Besides, I know more about the Fire Nation than both of you."

Aang looked between us all. "I guess it's settled. We all know our paths."

"Tell us lots of voodoo stories when you get back, Twinkle Toes," Toph said.

* * *

We said our goodbyes, which consisted of a long group hug, and Toph and I watched Appa fly away with Aang, Katara, and Sokka.

"Do you need any help with where you're going?" I said.

"No, thanks. I'll be fine. Katara gave me some pretty clear instructions," Toph said. "Are you okay with plotting an invasion against your own people?"

I stared into Toph's cloudy eyes. It was something that never crossed my mind. I sighed.

"I'm planning this because I want the Fire Nation to be the people I've envisioned since I was young: warm and inviting, not cruel and deceitful. The Fire Lord is at the root of it all," I said. "Once this war is over, once Ozai's reign has ended, this world will become a much better place. Someone much more deserving of the throne- someone kind, compassionate, and wise- will rise and lead the Fire Nation into an era of true honor and glory."

"Honor and glory, huh?" Toph nudged my side. "There's that Fire Nation side. Every time you mention 'honor,' you remind me of Zuko. And I've never even properly met the guy!"

I laughed and placed my hand on Toph's shoulder. "I'll see you around. Let me know how it goes with your mom. Are you nervous?"

"A little, but based off the letter, I think she's finally starting to understand me," Toph said. "See you later, Princess."

We waved to each other as Toph headed for the stairs. Once her head disappeared under the crest of the view, I lowered my arm. I slid my hand into my pocket and touched my headpiece nestled inside. Momo landed on my shoulder.

"All right, Momo," I said, scratching his ears. "Let's go plan a war."


	35. The Guru

My hands fumbled underneath the large war table that took up nearly the entire room. The generals of The Council of Five sat on one side of the table, while I had the other half to myself. Momo's warm body rested on my shoulder, and his tail gently swished against my back like a comforting touch. The last time I heard about a war council meeting, it didn't end very well. The Earth Kingdom's customs are very different from the Fire Nation's, but still… my nerves bubbled underneath my skin. I took a deep breath and cleared my throat.

"The Fire Nation Capital is located on Capital Island, rested in the western region of the Fire Nation." I popped the lid of my waterskin and pulled out a tiny stream of water. I directed the water to point to the island. "The city itself is nestled inside the crater of a dormant volcano. That's where all the important people live: the Fire Lord, the Royal Family, and all the nobility. That's where we should strike." I moved the water stream to the edge of the island. "The capital is nestled next to the beach, with the shore here. It'll be a straight line from the shores of the Earth Kingdom."

"We'll have General Fong's base be the launching point for the attack." General How moved his arms, and a couple of green stone pieces across the map, from the Earth Kingdom to the Fire Nation. "Two months from now, we'll invade the Fire Nation."

"There is something you should know about." Using the water whip, I lifted one of the red stone pieces for the Fire Nation and placed it on the blue just before the shore. "The Great Gates of Azulon lay just before, and it guards the sea entrance to the capital. While it looks like a giant statue of Fire Lord Azulon from a distance, once activated, a large net is brought out of the water and ignited to keep unauthorized personnel out. Once the ships are forced to stop at the gate, the military boards to investigate. They won't be too happy to discover invading troops."

General How stroked his beard. "Interesting. How might we go about this?"

"Well…" I stared at the map. "The gate prevents anything riding the surface of the water from passing through, but… _underneath_ the water isn't blocked. If the Fire Nation did that, fish wouldn't be able to reach the capital's beaches, and they wouldn't be able to catch them for food. All the rich people could certainly afford the cost of importing fish, but it'd be a pointless waste of expenses." I folded my arms as the water continued to float in the air. "It's too deep to use waterbending… maybe once Aang masters the Avatar State, he could enhance his airbending or waterbending to transport us there…"

At this point, I was rambling. I snapped to attention and straightened my posture. "Sorry."

General How lifted his hand. "No need. For now, we have a basic plan; the details we will continue to discuss." One of the generals handed How an embroidered scroll. "All we need is the Earth King's seal, and we'll be able to execute the plan."

General How thrust his arm forward, and a slab from the desk before him ejected out, over the table, and to me. I grabbed the scroll and stood.

"I'll deliver this to him right away," I said. I bowed. "Thank you, General How."

"Thank _you_. The information you've given us is crucial for the operation," General How said. "Tell me, how do you know so much about the Fire Nation?"

I stiffened for a moment, but words immediately flowed from my mouth. "I spent many years studying in the Fire Nation. That was where I learned about the people and its culture."

"They don't let just anyone into the Fire Nation these days," How said, "The paperwork must have been brutal."

"Indeed." I gave a polite smile and bowed again. "I'll be on my way now. I'll bring this back to you as soon as possible."

I turned on my heel and hurried out of the war room. Once the doors closed, I heaved a sigh of relief. I always rehearsed my response to that question, dating back to when I first arrived at the Southern Water Tribe. Although it wasn't brought up often, a fearful pang ignited in my gut whenever it was. Momo purred in my ear. I scratched his head and started to walk.

The sky was leaving its last shades of afternoon, and the orange and red tints of sunset settled in. My stomach rumbled softly. I placed a hand over my stomach.

"How about we divert a little and get something to eat?" I said. Momo twitched his ears indifferently. I headed for the stairs. "We could stop by Pao's Family Tea House. I've been craving their tea lately."

"You mean the really good tea one of the employees used to make?" I paused and turned to one of guards stationed at the stairs.

"Yes," I said.

"That guy doesn't work there anymore. An entrepreneur caught wind of his expertise and offered him a shop of his own. Today's their opening day."

"Oh, really? Where is it?"

"It's here in the Upper Ring. Once you reach the bottom of the stairs, turn right and head up the street for a while. You'll find it on the left. It's called the Jasmine Dragon."

I bowed. "Thank you." I turned and hurried down the stairs. _That's good for that employee. At least the walk from here won't be too far._ My stomach rumbled again at the thought of the tea, this time a little more ravenously.

* * *

Following the guard's directions, I approached the Jasmine Dragon. It was a large, fancy tea shop painted deep green. Gold dragons decorated the outside wall, as well as a sign that read, "The Jasmine Dragon." The roof was a light brown. The building's colors made it feel comforting, and the open front doors invited you in. I climbed the stairs and entered the shop. Two women bowed at the entrance.

"This will be a to go order," I said. The women nodded. I looked around.

The front room was large and had many tables. Nearly all the tables were filled with people they silently, yet hungrily sipped tea or chatting as they waited for their turn to enjoy the beverage. I looked around and smiled.

"This looks like a great place," I said. I looked at Momo. "Remind me to come here more often."

Momo tilted his head and flicked his tail. I left the doors and made my way to the counter.

"I need two jasmines, one green, and one lychee for the corner table!"

I stopped. The hunger sitting inside my stomach vanished, leaving behind a deep shudder.

"How about you try your hand at it this time?"

"Are you sure? They came here for _your_ tea."

"Of course! I'll get these orders that are ready out to the customers." Iroh called over his shoulder.

Holding a large serving dish, Zuko moved across the room to the back room. My eyes followed him as he walked. There was a bounce in his step and confidence in his posture. From his profile, I saw a soft smile on his lips. He looked _happy_ ; a concept I hadn't felt from him in a long time.

As Zuko disappeared into the back room, Iroh came out with a serving dish of his own. He stepped to the counter and filled the dish with tea cups and snacks. He stepped on his foot and turned, and our eyes met. He stopped.

"Uncle? What's the holdup-?" Zuko poked his head from the kitchen window.

His eyes found me. My chest quivered with nervous emotions. His blissful expression instantaneously shifted to shock. Somehow, he stood just a little taller.

"…Ashe?"

As my name escaped his lips, my feet sprang into action. I fled from the restaurant, leaving behind confused remarks from customers and more calls for me. I scurried down the stairs and down the street.

"Ashe! Wait!" Zuko's voice was behind me, but it didn't sound like it was fading.

 _Why am I running?_ I thought as my feet pounded against the pavement. I took deep, heavy breaths. My feet wouldn't stop. _Is it guilt? Guilt that I'm holding a scroll with a plan to invade the Fire Nation? Guilt that I helped construct this plan?_

"Ashe!" Zuko's voice was closer, _much_ closer, than the last call. A few more paces, and a hand gripped my arm and forced me to a stop. I turned around.

He stood close to me. His chest heaved as he caught his breath, and it rustled the short hairs framing my forehead. He hadn't broken a sweat. His grip, which was tight to stop me, immediately softened. Now that I was closer, I could see how much his hair had grown since I last saw him. During the chaos of fighting Azula, I almost didn't notice before his new hairstyle. Since the North Pole, he cut off his ponytail and allowed his hair to grow. His hair was longer and more unkempt than last time.

"Ashe…" Zuko said. Once he had caught his breath, he smiled. "How are you?"

My heart palpitated. I released the air I realized I was holding. "Hi," I said.

"Are you okay? I haven't seen you since Azula…" Zuko's voice trailed off.

Katara's words from after that incident came back to my mind, and I stood straighter. "I'm okay," I said. "It did leave a scar, though."

Pain washed over Zuko's face. His grip tightened, but it remained gentle. "I was… so worried about you. I was scared that-"

I hesitantly lifted my hand and placed my hand over the hand that held my arm. He broke his eye contact.

"I'm sorry I broke our promise."

I shook my head. I leaned forward and rested my head on his shoulder.

"It's okay," I said.

"You're not mad?" Zuko said.

I shook my head again. "I'm glad I got to see you again." I stepped back and smiled. Zuko returned the smile and released my arm. His eyes shifted to something else.

"What's that?" He pointed to my hand.

I looked down, and my face flushed. I had completely forgotten about the war plan.

"Oh, um…" I said. "I was on my way to take this to the Earth King. It's… confidential information."

"I see," Zuko said. "So, you're helping the Earth King? The Avatar and your other friends must be doing their part, right?"

I examined his face, but I found no ill will written. Whatever happened between now and the last time I saw him, he had once again returned to the happy, cherished friend from my childhood.

"They're not here right now," I said. "Katara and Sokka went to go see their father, Toph went to go see her mother, and Aang is on his way to see a Guru who can help him master the Avatar State."

"They left you behind?"

"No. I chose to stay here."

"Why?"

"So I-" I paused. What would Zuko think if I told him about the invasion? I was torn. They had done nothing but scoff at and scorn him… but what if he still considered them his people? "So I could help the Earth King in Aang's stead, like getting this important scroll to him."

"Right… I should let you take care of that."

"Yeah," Then I quickly added, "but I'll be back as soon as possible. I can't believe you and Iroh are here in Ba Sing Se. I want to hear a million stories when I get back!"

Zuko smiled. "I've got a million stories to tell you."

I grinned, turned on my heel, and jogged down the street. The fear that had caused me to run away had transformed into a joy that put a skip in my step. Zuko is here! In Ba Sing Se! In the whirlwind of emotions, I had forgotten to buy food, but my hunger was long gone. _The sooner I deliver this plan to the Earth King, have him stamp his seal, and bring the scroll back to the Council of Five, the sooner I can return to the Jasmine Dragon._

I ran a little bit faster.

* * *

Soon, I reached the Earth King's palace. Panting under my breath from the endless flight of stairs, I hurried into the throne room.

The Earth King wasn't there, neither his loyal pet bear, Bosco. Rather, three Kyoshi Warriors stood around the throne. Just before everyone had left, we had received word that Suki and a couple of her fellow comrades had arrived in Ba Sing Se. Although I hadn't the chance to properly meet them again, the Earth King welcomed them warmly and assigned them to be bodyguards.

"Suki!" I called as I ran further into the room. "Where's the Earth King? I have something I need him to-"

Something inside me, perhaps pure instinct- a concept wild animals feel when in the face of danger- forced me to a halt. Sirens and red flags created chaos in my mind, making it impossible to think. They trickled to the back of my neck and down my spine, leaving me nearly in a state of petrification… of terror.

They wore their uniforms. Their faces were caked with their makeup.

But they were not Kyoshi Warriors.

And the girl I was looking at… whose sharp, golden eyes stared back at me…

She was not Suki.


	36. The Crossroads of Destiny

"Well, well… I certainly didn't expect to find you here. Perhaps this is destiny."

Azula faced me fully, a devilish smile on her lips. Mai and Ty Lee slowly stood. My thoughts screamed for me to run, but my feet remained glued to where I stood.

"Where are the _real_ Kyoshi warriors?" I said.

"Oh, their leader is on her way to somewhere special. It was kind of her to leave her armor behind for me," Azula said. "Is that all you have to say to me after all this time? No 'Hello, Azula'? No 'How are you doing'? That's not a nice way to treat an old friend."

"Since when were we ever considered friends?"

"Hm… True."

"What's that in your hand?" Mai said. My fingers tightened around the scroll, and I moved to hide it behind my back. Mai thrust her arm forward. The scroll was snatched from my hand from one of her knives and punctured the pillar nearby. "It's pointless to try and hide it."

"Where are your friends?" Ty Lee hovered a hand over her eyes and looked around like she was trying to find something in the far distance. "I don't see them anywhere."

"What a shame. Capturing the Avatar would have been a sweet appetizer before beginning our plan to conquer Ba Sing Se," Azula said. She covered her mouth in halfhearted shock. "Oops. Did I say that out loud?"

"You already tried to conquer Ba Sing Se. They're still cleaning up your failed attempt," I said.

"What's success without a little failure here and there?" Azula sighed. "Well, if I can't have the Avatar, I suppose you'll make a good substitution."

My eyes widened. I finally stepped back on my foot. Another knife shot out from Mai's sleeve. I lifted my arm diagonally in front of me, creating a slab of ice that caught the knife. It punctured through the ice and almost grazed the bridge of my nose. Ty Lee flipped over me, landing behind me. She swiped her arm to strike me. As she did, I twisted my body to try and dodge. Her hand stabbed my arm, followed by the block of ice knocking her aside. I winced at the sharp pain. My arm flopped against my side. Ty Lee hit the ground, soaked in the ice water that had melted almost instantaneously. Azula shoved her fist at me and sent a blue fireball in my direction. I leaped to the side. I ran to the pillar, wrenched the scroll from it, and ran to the doors.

A wall of blue flames consumed the doors. I skidded to a stop and jumped back before the flames licked me. I looked over my shoulder and watched the three girls sprint towards me. I twisted my body as I reached into my pocket and pulled out a shuriken- one of Mai's that I picked up during our visit to Omashu. I gritted my teeth and threw the shuriken.

Azula's eyes widened, and she twisted her body on a dime as the shuriken soared past her face. Mai reached out and caught it between her index and middle finger.

Azula stood motionless, her body still turned to the side. I watched a small trail of blood trickle from the cut in her cheek, created from the shuriken dancing over her skin, and taint her makeup. She slowly turned her face to me. A deep glower scarred her face. Her eyes were wild and furious; I could almost see flames spewing from the golden hue. My insides petrified.

A sharp force jabbed the back of my neck. My knees turned to jelly, and I immediately collapsed. My body was no longer capable of movement. Something wet seeped underneath me, and my blood ran cold. Unable to move my head, I moved my eyes to the floor. My other waterskin had broken open, and the water formed a puddle underneath me. A small rush of relief washed over my skin. It left quickly when three pairs of similarly dressed feet stood around me.

"Have the Dai Li take her away," Azula said. My eyes widened. The blood began to dry on her cheek. She didn't tilt her head to look at me. Her chin remained high; I almost couldn't see her golden irises. "The sooner, the better. I'm done looking at this disgusting cretin."

More pairs of feet fell from the ceiling, their landing briefly trembling the ground beneath me. Arms grabbed me and lifted me like a giant sack of rice. My head remained flopped against my chest, and I could only see the floor and feet. I could feel the Dai Li's rock hands digging into my skin. I was dragged past the three pairs of Kyoshi warrior boots. I could still feel Azula's eyes on me, trying to burn me with her deadly gaze.

* * *

A few hours passed as I laid on the earthy floor and stared at the ceiling. Unable to move, I examined the large, bright green crystals protruding from the ceiling and walls. My back and limbs stung with sharp tingles as the feeling returned to them. I slowly began to move again, starting with wiggling my toes and fingers. Soon, I could prop myself up, but my legs still refused to move. After several more minutes, I was able to stand. Holding my arms, I walked around.

The Dai Li had thrown me in here after dragging me away. These crystal catacombs appeared to rest underneath the Earth King's palace, accessed via earthbending. I approached a cluster of crystals and ran my hand over one. It was smooth like glass, with all sides rising to meet at a single point.

I could feel my heart involuntarily begin to beat faster. I closed my eyes and swallowed slow, deep breaths and gripped my arms tightly to act as a comforting hug. I could feel the sweat secreting from my palms.

The air rumbled, and my skin jumped. I heard a grunt as something tumbled and hit the ground behind me. I whirled around and looked to the ground. My eyes widened.

"Zuko?" I said.

The Fire Prince lifted his eyes to me. "Ashe!" He stood.

"What are you doing here? Why did you come here?" I said.

"You were gone for a while… I got worried, so I came to see if everything was okay," Zuko said. "I was captured by Dai Li agents and thrown in here before I even reached the steps."

My fingers tightened around my arms. "Azula's here."

Zuko's eyes widened. "…What? When? How…?"

Zuko paused his rapid-fire questions to examine me. He looked around the catacombs, fully realizing our surroundings.

"Hey," he said, "are you okay?"

I leaned forward and rested my head against his chest. I let out a slow, ragged breath. He smelled like tea leaves.

Zuko wrapped his arms around me. "It's okay. We'll get out of here." Zuko's chin brushed against the top of my head as he searched the area once more. "If we keep walking, we might find a way out of here."

Zuko released me and took my hand. I stared at the back of Zuko's head as he led. He remained faced forward, walking as if he knew exactly where to go, despite the path looking the same as a few feet before. His hand was warm, and it made me realize how cold my fingers were. My thumb twitched, and he squeezed my hand tighter. The warmth rushed up my arm and spread through the rest of my body. He was so confident and determined, but it was from a positive aspect instead of his old thirst for trying to capture Aang. It was… awe-inspiring. My heart quivered with glee.

The stone wall in front of us exploded open. Zuko stopped immediately and stepped back as a shield. My body pressed against his back. My wide eyes trembled. I didn't even know if the source was a friend or a foe, but… I felt embarrassed by the joy I felt. I looked over Zuko's shoulder.

"These look like catacombs to me," a voice said. Iroh and Aang stepped out of the large, newly crafted tunnel.

"Aang?!" I stepped out from behind Zuko and to his side.

Aang turned to us, and his eyes immediately flocked to our interlocked hands. He raised his eyes and glared at Zuko. Zuko glared back.

"What are you doing here?! You were supposed to meet that guru!" I said.

Aang looked at me. "I was. I met him, and we started my training… but I had to stop," he said.

"Uncle, what are you doing with the Avatar?" Zuko said.

"We don't have time to do this," Aang said impatiently. "This is all a coup set up by Azula. She joined up with Long Feng and the Dai Li to overthrow the Earth King and conquer Ba Sing Se."

My eyes widened, and I clenched my free hand. "We can't let her get away with this."

"I agree," Aang said. "I sent the others to go and warn the Earth King."

"Azula and her friends stand in their way… They might have not gone very far…"

Iroh approached us and rested a hand on my shoulder. "Then they may need your help. You two go and assist them. I need to have a word with Zuko."

I nodded and slowly pulled my hand out of Zuko's grip. My fingers chilled from being exposed. I hurried to Aang's side. I looked back.

"I'll… be back soon?" I said.

Iroh turned and gave me a gentle, warm smile. Zuko refused to meet my gaze.

"Come on," Aang said.

I faced forward, and we started to jog into the tunnel Aang created.

"We'll have to be careful," Aang said, "the palace is probably crawling with Dai Li-"

There was another explosion over my shoulder. My feet immediately stopped. Aang stopped as well and looked at me. I looked down the path back into the catacombs. The end glowed green from the crystals. I gulped.

"Go," Aang said. I looked back at him. "This opens up to a large room, where the exit I created is. I'll wait for you there."

I nodded, turned on my heel, and sprinted away. As I reached the end of the tunnel, I heard voices. I slowed near the end and stepped behind a large bushel of crystals. I peeked between the tops of two. My eyes widened.

Azula stood before Zuko and Iroh. Two Dai Li agents stood behind Azula, who had immobilized Iroh in crystals.

"I said release him! Now!" Zuko cried.

"Is this really what you want? To join our foolish uncle in treachery against the Fire Nation? You're a lot of things, Zuko… but is a traitor among those things?" Azula said. "It's not too late, brother. You can still redeem yourself."

"Do not listen to her, Zuko!" Iroh cried. "She does not offer the redemption you need!"

"I don't recall speaking to _you_ , Uncle," Azula hissed. She turned to Zuko again. "All the pieces are in place. We are so _close_ to marking the history books. Ba Sing Se is at our feet. With your help, this great city will finally fall. Imagine how happy that will make Father, knowing his beloved children accomplish something that's the Fire Nation has been trying to accomplish for _decades_. You'll have your honor back. You'll have Father's love. Everything that you've lost will be restored."

My eyes widened.

"Zuko," Iroh spoke calmly, "look into your heart. What is it that you _truly_ want?"

Zuko bowed his head and closed his eyes. I turned on my heel and ran into the tunnel. My breathing was heavy. My heart pounded.

 _Zuko… You can't listen to Azula!_ My thoughts calmed as I recalled his warm touch. Newfound energy coursed through my veins. _No. He won't listen to her. I know he'll make the right decision._

I exited through the other side of the tunnel. The room Aang spoke of was indeed large. A waterfall cascaded from a hole in a corner of the room and spilled into a large, rectangular moat surrounding a platform of stone resting in the center of the room. Pillars sat at the corners of the platform, and crystals exploded from the bottoms.

"That was quick," Aang called. "Now, let's go find the others."

I nodded as I ran to greet him. Aang's eyes shifted to something behind me, and he gasped. The back of my neck suddenly felt incredibly hot. I looked over my shoulder as a large blast of blue fire raced towards me. A rock wall, created by Aang, rushed past me and collided with the fire. The wall exploded, and I was knocked off my feet. I fell next to the water. I looked and saw Azula in a freshly stricken attack pose.

Snapping into focus, I lifted my arms. A large wave erupted from the moat. I was lifted back onto my feet. I twisted my body in a spin, spiraling my arms as I did, and thrust the wave at Azula. Stomping her feet against the ground in a wide stance, Azula raised her arms above her head and created a wall of fire. The water and fire met and created a thick cloud of steam that heated the air. I peered through the steam to try and see.

Azula leaped through the steam and landed between me and Aang. She stood straight and aimed a hand at both of us, the index and middle fingers outstretched. She looked between us. Up close, I could see she had changed out of the Kyoshi warrior armor. Her face was clear of makeup, allowing me to see the coagulated cut etched across her cheekbone. It was anxiously silent.

A giant fireball hit the ground between Azula and Aang. We shielded from the attack as pebbles were ripped from the ground and pelted us. We looked and saw Zuko standing at the tunnel. The sleeves of his outfit were gone, allowing him better movement with his arms. His arms raised to attack, he slowly approached us.

I suppressed a smile. _Three against one._ I remembered to keep an eye on Azula. However, she was focused on Zuko. The four of us remained still. I glanced at Zuko, hoping to catch his eye. He, however, still wouldn't look at me. He kept looking between Aang and Azula.

Finally, Zuko looked at me. It happened for a second.

My stance faltered. My blood ran cold. I could no longer feel my heart's beating; it felt like it had stopped completely.

The message in his eyes was as clear as if he were speaking it aloud.

" _I'm sorry."_

Zuko pivoted his feet and thrust his fist towards Aang, shooting a fireball in his direction. Aang cried out and surrounded himself in a ball of air that choked the fire before it could reach him.

My knees shook, and I stumbled back a few steps. As I did, a blue fireball soared past my face. The baby hairs around my face singed. Azula looked at me with a smirk oozing with derision. She threw another fireball at me. I jumped out of the way.

"Zuko!" I cried as he shot multiple fireballs that trailed after Aang, who leaped through the air to dodge them. His shoulders tightened at my call. " _Zuko_!"

I ran towards him. Another blue fireball hit the ground in front of me, and I stumbled back.

"He's made his choice," Azula said. I peered through the flames and at Zuko, who paused momentarily in his attacks. I turned to Azula. "He's finally realized what's truly important. You were never anything more than a bug that needed to be squished."

Tears welled in my eyes. Azula's smile widened at my despair. She lifted her arms in a fighting stance.

"Ashe!" Aang called from the air.

Azula thrust two fingers at me. As fire spewed from her fingertips, I swiped my arm diagonally. A thin stream of water froze and slammed into Azula's wrist. It jerked upward, and the fireball hit the ceiling. Azula stared at me. Steam hung in the air from the collision. Tears finally spilled from my eyes, but they froze halfway down my cheeks and stuck against my skin. I swiped my hand, first across my body then out to the side. The steam formed into shards of ice and fell towards Azula. Azula tucked her arms inward and thrust them up, shooting fire at the shards to melt them. I lifted my arms and pulled water from the moat. With a cry, the water hardened to large shards of ice and launched towards Azula. Her eyes widened.

A wall of rock rose in front of Azula. Some of the ice shards shattered on impact, and some punctured the rock. Dai Li agents dropped from the ceiling and tunnels in the walls. Rows of them surrounded them. I lifted my arms. My fingers trembled. I looked across the way, to the platform, and saw Zuko standing there. Our eyes met. My chest tightened. My tears melted and streamed down my cheeks.

A bright light glowed behind him, and he turned away to look. A dome of crystals glowed with a bright, white light, further illuminating the room. A burst of energy pulsed through the room, sweeping through Dai Li agents and knocking them off their feet. It passed through me, crawling through my skin and palpitating my heart. A pillar of light busted the top of the crystal dome. Inside the pillar of light, Aang lifted off the ground and rose into the air. My eyes widened.

 _He did it…_ A smile, fragile yet hopeful, twitched at the corners of my lips.

Thunder rolled through the air. A flash of white consumed my vision and blinded me. Spots dotted my eyes, and I blinked frantically to see clearly. As they faded, I saw Aang… falling out of the sky. Smoke curled from Azula's fingertips; once again, while everyone was distracted, she delivered the final blow.

The moat exploded. Shards of ice shot through the air like bullets. Dai Li agents were brought down, pinned to the walls, pillars, and ground by ice. The moat was nearly empty, and it would be completely had it not been for the constantly flowing waterfall. I sprinted as hard as I could across the ground. I felt my body lift off the ground. Icy steps formed underneath me as I ran, slowly lifting me through the air to meet Aang. I pushed off the last step and lunged. Aang fell into my arms, and we both fell to the ground. My muscles tensed, and our fall ceased. My skin chilled against the rounded wall of ice. A large dome of ice wrapped around us.

Aang's clothes were tattered, exposing parts of his body. The back of his shirt was gone completely, and I could see the black scar embedded in his skin. He wasn't moving. He wasn't breathing. My hand covered my mouth.

Outside the dome, I heard the exchanging of fireballs. "Ashe!" a voice called. I lifted my gaze. The ice made it difficult to see, but I could make out a white and green silhouette standing in front of the ice. The muffled voice belonged to Iroh. "You've got to get out of here! I'll hold them off! _Go_!"

The bending noises and Iroh's grunts resumed. I looked at Aang, his face still and sagging. I gulped in a bubble of air and pulled him against my body.

The dome of ice melted nearly instantaneously. Cradling Aang in one arm, I swirled one arm above my head. The water churned beneath us. I thrust my arm up, and the water carried us across the room, to the waterfall, and up the stream.

From this view, I could see Zuko. He stood still, almost reverently, and stared.

* * *

~TPPOV~

Flying above the Earth King's palace on Appa's back, the other members of the Avatar gang, joined by the Earth King and Bosco, saw Ashe slowly emerge, dragging Aang in her arms.

"Ashe!" Appa landed, and the others scrambled off. Their eyes flew to Aang, hanging limp in Ashe's unbalanced grip.

"Aang…?" Katara said. Her eyes widened, and she pushed to the front of the group. "Aang?!"

She pulled Aang from Ashe's arms, and she almost lost her balance from the unexpected weight. Katara fell to her knees. Sokka gasped. Katara looked and saw the source of it- the scar etched in Aang's back. Her jaw dropped, and tears pooled in her eyes. She looked up at Ashe.

Ashe fell on her butt, her knees having failed her. Her hands clutched her mouth. Tears cascaded from her eyes like the waterfall within the Crystal Catacombs. She trembled violently. Loud, wild sobs escaped between the crevasses of her fingers.

"Zuko…" Ashe whispered repeatedly as she wept, the only word she could utter. "Zuko… Zuko…"

* * *

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

 **It took a while, but we've finally reached the end of Book Two. Thank you for your incredible patience and support. I'm really excited for what will happen from this point forward, and I hope you are, too.**

 **Stay tuned!**


	37. The Awakening

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

 **I completely forgot to announce them at the time, but we've hit 40,000 views! Thank you so much for 20,000, 30,000, and 40,000! You guys are amazing!**

 **Happy reading!**

* * *

~TPPOV~

The lights of Ba Sing Se faded into the horizon. Gripping Appa's fur, the Avatar gang and the Earth King looked back on the city. The citizens slept peacefully, unaware that their beloved and seemingly indestructible city had just fallen. They could only imagine what would become of the city now.

Katara sat on Appa's head with Aang slumped in her arms. Her eyes were closed as she tried to fight back tears; she had already cried enough today. After a few minutes, her expression fell, and she opened her eyes. She reached up and pulled on the string hanging around her neck. A thin, blue vial- the water from the Spirit Oasis that Pakku gifted her- dangled in front of her face. Her eyes widened. She shifted to her knees and carefully leaned Aang forward. She fought off the nausea rising in her throat from the sight of the black scar on his back. Katara removed the lid and hovered her hand over the top. She pulled her hand up, and the water inside followed her. It swirled and glowed brightly. Katara lowered her hand and pressed the water into the scar. The light faded. Several seconds passed with no reaction. Katara squeezed her eyes shut.

A quiet groan vibrated Aang's chest, and he shifted ever so slightly. Katara gasped and leaned Aang back like she was holding up an infant. Aang's eyes opened a sliver. Tears pricked Katara's eyes, and she smiled brightly. The ends of Aang's lips twitched. His eyes closed again. Katara embraced him tightly.

The others riding on Appa's back watched with relief. Sokka looked over his shoulder, at the silhouette facing away from everyone, and his smile faded. He opened and closed his mouth, unable to find a response, and slowly faced forward.

* * *

Morning broke, and they were still flying. Ba Sing Se was long behind them. They spent all night flying southeast. Even at their vantage, all they saw was land. At sunrise, the Eastern Sea finally came into view. The orange and light-yellow hues reflected off the water. Soon, they were flying over water instead of land. They flew over the inlet of Chameleon Bay. Right outside the bay, a fleet of Water Tribe ships floated on the surface. Guided by Katara and Sokka, Appa flew to the ship sitting on the far right and hovered over it.

"Hakoda!" a Water Tribe member called from the deck of the ship. "You've got visitors!"

Hakoda looked up from a map he was examining. His face shifted to surprise, then to a smile.

"You're back already?" Hakoda called as the children climbed off of Appa and onto the ship. "You left in such a hurry. I wasn't expecting you to return so soon."

"Something happened," Katara said.

Hakoda's eyes shifted to Aang supported in Katara's arms. He turned and beckoned to Bato.

"Take the Avatar below deck," Hakoda said. He turned to the others. "We'll put him in a private room to rest. We'll make adjustments."

Bato approached Katara and carefully lifted Aang into his arms. Katara's eyes followed Aang as he disappeared below deck. Hakoda stepped closer and placed a hand on hers and Sokka's shoulders. They looked up at their father and embraced them.

"Someone's missing," Hakoda said. He pulled away and lifted his eyes. "A-"

Sokka elbowed Hakoda. Hakoda looked between his children. Sokka slowly shook his head, but Katara refused to meet anyone's gaze. She looked towards the water, a serious scowl on her face. Hakoda lifted his eyes to the edge of the boat.

Ashe stood next to Appa. The sea breeze couldn't reach her, but Appa's slow breathing rustled her hair. Momo flew off Appa's head and sat on her shoulder. He chattered in her eat, but she wasn't disturbed from her absorbed state. A growl rumbled in Appa's throat. She reached up and absentmindedly stroked his nose.

The Earth King, still on Appa, poked his head out from the crest of the bison's back. "I've never seen a Water Tribe ship before. The workmanship is exquisite!"

Hakoda stared at the Earth King. "Who is he?"

"Hello!" the Earth King called. Bosco lifted his head lazily. The Earth King scratched his ears. "My name is Kuei, Ba Sing Se's… former Earth King."

Hakoda looked to Katara and Sokka. "Care to explain?"

"You may want to sit down," Sokka said. "This may take a while."

* * *

While Sokka took his father aside to explain the situation, Katara and Ashe went to where Aang rested. Katara carefully turned Aang onto his back. Katara pulled the water from her waterskin, split it in half, and gave the other half to Ashe. Ashe reached out and let the water consume her hands. Katara pressed her hands against Aang's back. The water churned with a quiet hum that occupied the silence in the room. As she slowly moved her hands along Aang's back, Katara heard something crack. She lifted her head.

"Ashe!" she said.

The water wrapped around Ashe's hands had hardened, encasing her hands in blocks of glowing blue ice. She turned her hands over and stared at them. She lifted her head and met Katara's eyes.

Katara's eyebrows knit as she stared into Ashe's despondent eyes. The shimmer in her blue irises was gone, replaced with a thick haze. She wasn't aware of her surroundings; she was looking at Katara, but she couldn't see her.

"Um… that's okay," Katara said. She forced a smile. "I'll finish with my healing, and then we'll switch. The ice will help with any swelling."

Ashe didn't respond. Katara's smile faded. She lowered her head and focused on her bending. After a few minutes, Katara returned the water to her waterskin and stepped back. She looked at Ashe. Ashe stepped forward and mechanically moved her hands against Aang's back.

As she watched her work, Katara's fingers curled into fists. Her chest tightened. Unable to bear anymore of this sight, she squeezed her eyes shut and looked away.

The healing had finished. Katara approached Ashe and touched the blocks of ice still trapping her hands. The ice melted, and Katara returned the water to her waterskin. She placed a hand on Ashe's shoulder and studied her face.

"Go back to Dad and Sokka," Katara said. "I'll join you shortly."

Ashe stepped away from Katara's touch and headed for the stairs leading to the deck. Katara sighed. She grabbed a large roll of gauze and set it at the end of the bed. She rolled Aang onto his back and sat him up. She removed the remains of Aang's shirt, which was easy since there was barely any left, grabbed the gauze, and began to wrap his torso.

* * *

Hakoda leaned back and rubbed the bottom half of his face in exasperation. He exhaled deeply.

"Well," Hakoda said, "we're in a bit of a predicament."

Sokka nodded. "We came here to seek refuge and hide Aang," he said. "We can use this to our advantage. The world, more specifically the Fire Nation Royal Family, believes Aang is dead, which means they won't hunt us anymore. We can do what we want without the stress of a fleet of fireball-flinging wackos trying to stop us."

Footsteps approached the two, and Sokka looked over his shoulder.

"Hey," Sokka said as Ashe shuffled over and sat next to him. She stared at the map spread out between Hakoda and Sokka.

"Is… she okay…?" Hakoda's voice trailed off.

Sokka's eyes lingered on Ashe before he turned back to the map. "She will be… I think," Sokka said.

Hakoda cleared his throat. "So, what now?"

"We carry on with our plan. The solar eclipse is going to appear in a couple months."

"What about Aang?"

"I know… With Katara and Aang tending to him, he should recover faster. As for when he wakes… we can only hope he does before the eclipse."

"I see…" Hakoda straightened his shoulders. "Well, now that the Fire Nation thinks there's no more opposition, their guard will be lowered. It will still be unusual to see a Water Tribe ship carting around the world; we won't be as incognito as we want to be."

Sokka cupped his chin in his hand. "If we want to hide from the enemy, we'll need to make them think we _are_ them."

Hakoda smiled. "Exactly."

"Where are we going to find a Fire Navy ship?"

"There should be plenty of them on their way to Ba Sing Se." Hakoda pointed to Chameleon Bay and traced it up to Ba Sing Se. "Docking in Chameleon Bay and heading northeast is the quickest and easiest way. The news should be on their way to the Fire Nation, and once they receive it, they'll send hundreds of troops over immediately. They'll send the first couple of ships to set the path for the other fleets; they should be here in two weeks, at the earliest."

Sokka straightened his posture and smiled.

"Um… Excuse me," Hakoda and Sokka turned to the Earth King as he approached them, "I have something important to tell you."

"What is it?" Hakoda said.

"I won't be joining you on your journey," the Earth King said. "There is… so much of this world that has been kept from me. Not just the war; so many cultures and concepts that I've missed from spending my entire life being raised as the Earth King. Now that I'm no longer king, I have an opportunity to learn more about the world outside of the one I've been cooped up in."

Sokka stood. "If that's what you want. We do need to do something about your clothes. People will identify you from a mile away in those robes."

"I managed to grab some more common clothes. If I wear those, people will hardly recognize me! After all, not very many people have actually seen what I look like."

"You've already thought it through," Sokka said. He nodded. "We'll have Appa take you to the shore."

The Earth King smiled and held out a hand. Sokka gripped it and shook it firmly. "I honestly can't thank you enough for everything. When the Avatar awakes, please give him my best regards."

Sokka smiled. "Will do."

* * *

The Water Tribe ships had departed from Chameleon Bay and sat several miles in the Eastern Sea. Days passed, and they finally saw a smoke trail in the distance. The ships removed their anchors and traveled around to avoid being detected. Under the cover of night, the ships traveled closer to the Fire Navy ship. The Water Tribe fleet looked like ants compared to the massive cargo ship.

Hakoda and several of his crew members tied gas masks around their faces.

"I'm entrusting you kids to man this ship," Hakoda said to Sokka, Katara, and Toph. "We should finish before morning. We'll give you a signal; two short blasts of the horn means we've captured the ship."

The kids nodded. The ships moved to the side of the cargo ship, where a few ladders sat. They parked the ships, and the warriors began their climb up to the ship.

"I hope this doesn't take long," Toph said. "I'm tired of stumbling around like a blind man on this wood."

"But it's metal," Katara said.

"Oh! We forgot to mention!" Sokka said. "Toph can _metalbend_ now! It's the coolest thing!"

"Really? How did that happen?"

"Metal's just refined earth. Once I figured it out, the bending came easily," Toph said. "The revelation comes quickly when you're being held captive by a couple of rookie knuckleheads."

The night crawled along. The Avatar gang heard fighting noises from the ship. Occasionally, a fireball would fly into the sky. Despite the chaos going on above, the group started to get sleepy.

A few hours later, a loud horn blast startled the kids awake. They leaped to their feet and waited in anticipation. The horn blast ended. The sun hadn't appeared on the horizon yet, but the sky had started to lighten.

A second horn blast sounded. It ended, but its echo carried out into the ocean. Sokka and Katara looked between each other and grinned. The kids exchanged high fives with one another.

Footsteps creaked on the stairs leading below deck. Ashe, rubbing her eyes, climbed to the main deck and approached the others. She hugged her arms and shivered in the cool sea breeze.

"We did it, Ashe!" Sokka called.

Ashe blinked several times to clear the grogginess from her eyes. She nodded. Sokka lifted his hand, and Ashe reached up and high-fived him. Katara glanced at Ashe. The brightening sky allowed her to see Ashe better. Her face was still empty, yet she was much more expressive than she had been a few weeks earlier. Ashe slowly turned and met Katara's eyes. Katara's shoulders relaxed, and she flashed a small, gentle smile.

Ashe looked away.

* * *

The Fire Navy ship was incredibly spacious, allowing almost everyone a place of their own. Katara tended to Aang's wounds in his room somewhere in the ship. Sokka sat in the captain's quarters with Hakoda, a map spread out on the desk.

Ashe stood on the wide deck and looked out into the ocean, her arms folded over her chest. The sea breeze pushed against her. With the bright sun shining down on the ship and warming up the metal, and the long Fire Nation cloak draped over her shoulders that hid her Water Tribe clothes, the breeze complemented it. Her hair floated over her shoulder and in front of her. She watched distance grow between the ship and the Serpent's Pass, which they had just passed.

"Hey, Princess." Ashe looked over her shoulder. Toph approached her and stood next to her. "I don't expect you to answer. Katara just wanted me to check on you."

Ashe faced forward. Toph sighed loudly.

"You know," she said, "you've spent so much time thinking about one person, you've neglected yourself." Ashe glanced at the young earthbender. "Trust me, I'm not here to preach to you- that's Katara's job. I just think that it's time you start thinking about yourself. If you really want to help Zuko, then you need to help yourself."

Toph turned on her heel and walked away. Ashe's eyes followed Toph before she faced the ocean once more.

* * *

"He's awake!" a voice rang through the halls. "The Avatar is awake!"

Aang swung his staff and launched a column of air at the two guards standing at the end of the hall. As they were knocked off their feet, Aang groaned in pain and fell against the wall. He clutched his bandaged chest. Taking a deep breath, he turned and limped down the hallway as fast as he could, using his staff as a crutch. The stairs came into view. He summoned another burst of wind that broke the hatch open, and he crawled out.

He looked around in a panic, but his eyes stopped. He squinted in disbelief.

"…Katara?" he said.

Katara turned from looking at the dark ocean. Her eyes widened, and she smiled brightly. "Aang!" she cried. Toph, standing next to her, turned.

"Twinkle Toes! You're finally awake!" she said.

The two girls jogged over to Aang. Aang rubbed his eyes to see if he was dreaming. Katara threw her arms around him and held him tightly.

"How long… have I been asleep?" he said.

"It's been a few weeks," Katara said.

"A few…"

"Aang?!" Sokka poked his head from the captain's quarters. He approached the group and patted Aang's shoulders. "It's good to see you alive and well, buddy!"

Aang slowly examined Sokka, especially the Fire Nation armor he wore. "…Yeah…" He looked between everyone. "Where's…?"

"Good morning, Aang."

Aang turned in the direction of the soft voice, and his eyes met Ashe's. Aang smiled.

"Hey, Ashe," he said.

Ashe nodded. Aang turned to the others. Katara and Sokka stared at Ashe in surprise. Katara's eyes trembled.

"What… happened?" Aang said, his voice suddenly weary.

Sokka gripped Aang's shoulder. "You may want to sit down for this… There's a lot we need to talk about."


	38. The Headband

~ASHE~

Now that Aang was awake, and understanding that traveling with our usual, smaller group on Appa rather than a giant Fire Nation ship would be faster, we said goodbye to Hakoda and the Water Tribe members. Aang used his airbending to pull the clouds from the sky and surround Appa, disguising us as a fast-moving cloud. It was rather difficult to tell where we were with our vision obstructed. At least with a new saddle, we were able to ride on Appa more comfortably.

"Are we there yet?" Toph called over the roaring wind. "It's been nearly a month since I've touched land. My feet are itching to see clearly."

"Shhh!" Sokka cried.

"There's a cave below," Aang said. "We can stop there."

" _Shhhh!_ " Sokka hissed. "Do you want us to get caught?!"

"Who's going to expose us, Sokka? The birds?" Katara said.

"You never know! The Fire Nation could have trained them!"

"…Sure…"

Aang landed and dispelled the cloud. We climbed off Appa and stretched.

"Ah, finally," Toph sighed. She turned to Aang. "Whoa, man. You don't look so good."

Aang grimaced. "Thanks."

We migrated to the cave. Sokka dusted his hands, turned to us, and placed his fists on his hips. As he looked around, his face began to droop.

"Now that I think about it…" he said. "Maybe living in cave after cave isn't such a good idea."

"We don't need to hide in caves," I said. "Remember what you and Hakoda discussed a couple weeks ago? If we want to hide from the enemy, we'll need to make them think we _are_ them."

"I'm surprised you caught that, considering how much of a zombie you were for the last month."

"My point is," I said, ignoring Sokka's remark, "if we can get our hands on some new clothes, we'll be able to blend in with the Fire Nation. I've done it before; it's just as safe, and it's much more comfortable for us all."

"I like that idea," Aang said.

"Me, too," Toph said. "I'd rather eat _real_ food than cave critters."

Sokka folded his arms. "Very well."

We left the cave and traveled around the island. We found a hut settled next to a waterfall. Rows of laundry lined the yard of the house. A man sat at the door of the house, but he was fast asleep; I could almost hear his snores from the boulders we hid behind. Quickly and quietly, we ran through the clotheslines and snagged pieces we liked. Wooden pins flew off the lines and hit the ground with soft clatters, and we checked frequently to make sure the man didn't stir. Once we grabbed clothes, we hurried back to the cave. We hid behind boulders and changed our clothing.

"These clothes are nice," Aang said, twisting his upper body as he examined his suit. He tightened the headband wrapped around his head, which covered his arrow. "Who knew the Fire Nation had such stylish clothing?"

"Says the guy who's worn nothing but shredded pants for the last month," Toph said. She sat on a boulder, grabbed the sides of her shoe, and shoved her foot through. The soles of her shoes ripped off and flopped to the ground.

I stepped out from behind the boulder I changed at. I wore a red halter top that ended at my ribcage, exposing my midriff. I wore a piece of dark red, V-neck-shaped leather lined with gold that covered the straps of my top and my neck. Dark red fingerless sleeves stretched from the top of my forearm, just below my elbow, to the back of my hands, with a ring of fabric around my middle fingers to keep the sleeves from falling. A simple gold bangle wrapped around my right bicep, and a red and gold cuff wrapped around my left. I wore maroon, knee-length trousers. A red sash wrapped around my waist, which was short in the front and long in the back, covering my butt. A long piece of fabric hung on the front of the sash, lined with gold, and embroidered with a golden flame at the end. Red shoes reached up to my shins, covering the rest of my leg that would have been bare. The tips of my shoes were curved upward to a point. I redid my hair, which had become frazzled and loose over the last month.

"You look really nice," Katara said.

I smiled at her. "Thanks. So do you." I turned to the others. "See? We all look like Fire Nation people."

"I feel like something is missing." Katara reached up and touched her neck, which was bare after she removed her mother's necklace.

"The Fire Nation bazaar should be close by," I said. "It's the most business-oriented place in the Fire Nation. You'll find all kinds of things there. Just be careful not to fall for any of the vendor's enticing words."

We gathered our old clothes. I reached into the pockets of my old pants and pulled out the handkerchief from Iroh. Despite everything, it was still in good condition. We buried our old clothes deep inside the cave.

Once outside the cave, I unfolded the handkerchief. Laying in the center of the handkerchief was my flame headpiece. The golden surface reflected the sun's rays. Carefully, I folded the handkerchief again and tucked it into my pocket.

* * *

We arrived at the Fire Nation bazaar, nestled within a valley. Dozens, even hundreds, of booths and shops cluttered the area.

"I remember this place!" Aang said. "I had a friend who lived here named Kuzon. Whenever I came to visit, we always came to the bazaar. He even taught me some of the lexicon."

"Oh?" I said. I folded my arms. "Like what?"

"You know, things like 'stay flaming', 'flameo', 'Hotman'… You know what I'm talking about, right, Ashe?"

"That slang was common one hundred years ago; no one says it anymore."

Aang's shoulders slumped, and he scratched the back of his head. "Oh."

"You might find it difficult to believe, but these are real people, just like you. Speak as you normally would… please."

Everyone followed close behind as we walked along the streets. Vendors yelled left and right to come take a look at their products. I kept everyone's focus and led them to an accessory booth run by an elderly couple. While everyone purchased the final additions to their outfits, I scanned the goods.

I paused at the edge of the booth. I examined the section of makeup.

"Find anything you like, miss?" an old woman smiled warmly.

"Actually, yes." I picked up a case of light foundation and a pair of amber colored contacts. "I'd like these, please."

The woman told me the total, and I handed her the money. She thanked me for my business and shuffled away to help another customer.

"Why'd you purchase those?" Aang said, peering over my shoulder at the items.

"I did it all the time when I was younger," I said. "Fire Princess Ursa introduced it to me. She wanted to protect me from possible persecution and danger- both outside, from the citizens, as well as inside, from the Fire Lord. Now that we're here, this could be useful."

"Hm…" Aang grunted in acknowledgment.

With our new items, we headed to a restaurant to get some food. Aang, uncomfortable with the display window of meat, opted out. The rest of us entered the restaurant. We were greeted by a hostess, who escorted us to a table and handed us menus.

"This is such a nice place," Katara commented. "No matter what class, everyone looks so sophisticated."

"Every nation has their way of living," I said. "The Fire Nation has always been more advanced than the rest of the world in many spectrums: technology, fashion, education… you name it. Everyone's been raised to be the best them they can be, regardless of who they are and what their status is. Because of this, they try their best to show it. That also means they're very strict and disciplined."

"The Royal Family must have taken that to extreme measures," Sokka said.

I lowered my eyes to the menu and scanned the food items. "Exactly."

A waiter came to our table, took our orders, and hurried to the kitchen to deliver the scrap of paper to the chef. We ate our food, paid, and left the restaurant. We continued our walk through the bazaar and viewed the hundreds of thousands of items for sale at "outrageous prices."

"I haven't seen Aang yet," Katara said. "Do you think he got lost?"

"Perhaps," I said. "This is a big place after all."

"Let's just head back to the cave," Toph said. "If anything, Aang knows how to get back there." She patted her stomach. "Besides, I need some time to digest the food I ate. The Fire Nation eats a _lot_ of meat."

* * *

We returned to the cave, but Aang wasn't there either. As the sky began to darken, we built and lit a fire. The light from the flames illuminated the cave. By the time the sky had nearly turned black, Aang returned. The fire allowed us to see the soot clinging to his clothes and face. He reeked of smoke.

"There you are!" Katara said. "Where have you been?"

"Sorry," Aang said. He reached up and took off his headband. "A couple of kids from school invited me to play hide and explode with them."

Sokka's hands shot into the air. " _Whoa_. Whoa, whoa, whoa," he said. " _School_?"

"Yeah. This suit is apparently the uniform for the school here. A couple of guards saw me and thought I was a student, so they dragged me to the school, and I was enrolled." Aang walked over to the fire and sat down. "It was a lot of fun. I'm going back tomorrow."

"Forgive me for being brash, but that sounds like a terrible idea."

"What's the point of going to school? Ashe knows all about the Fire Nation; she can lecture you better than any teacher can," Toph said.

"Um… thanks?" I sweatdropped.

"I want to pursue that knowledge by myself. There's so much of the Fire Nation that I don't know," Aang said. "I want to do what Ashe did and learn from official sources, from the actual people… uh, no offense, Ashe…"

"None taken."

"Besides, I'm learning about stuff that perhaps _none_ of us know. For example," Aang smiled deviously, "there's apparently a secret river that runs right up to the Fire Lord's Palace. We're supposed to learn about it in class tomorrow."

Sokka cupped his chin in his hand. "Hm…" he mumbled. "Fine. Let's stay for a few more days."

Aang grinned. "Flameo!" he cried as he leaped in the air. His feet touched the ground, and he covered his mouth. "Oh, right. Modern-day."

* * *

Aang left for school the next morning. He rushed back home after school.

"Welcome back, Twinkle Toes," Toph said. "How was your day in learning prison?"

"Actually…" Aang rubbed the back of his neck. "I ran back home because… I got in trouble."

"What?!" Sokka cried. "Don't tell me someone found out your identity."

"No, no. There would be an even worse reaction if that were the case," Aang said. "I got into a fight with someone at school. He started it, and I didn't even try to lay a hand on him, but the Headmaster blamed me for it. He wants me to bring my parents to talk to them."

"Aaaang!" Sokka facepalmed. He heaved a sigh. "Well, what are we going to do? Your parents aren't exactly _available_ for a parent-teacher conference."

"Maybe… but I do have you guys." Aang clapped his hands together. "Please?"

Katara sighed. "Could we even pass as parents?" she said. "We don't really look alike."

"You could say I was adopted."

"Aang…"

I perked up. "I'll go."

"The issue still isn't solved."

"It is," I reached into my pocket and pulled out the foundation and colored contacts. "with this."

"Then it's settled… _Mom_ ," Aang grinned.

I grimaced. "Please don't call me that."

* * *

I stared at my reflection in the water. The sensation of having makeup on my skin felt bizarre once more, since it had been several years since I last wore some. I blinked several times to adjust to the colored contacts sitting in my eyes. Dozens of memories flooded my mind. I grabbed a long piece of fabric we snagged from the house earlier and wrapped it around myself, creating a makeshift wrap shirt. I covered my hands in foundation. I closed the makeup container and stood.

"All right," I turned to everyone. They stared flabbergasted at me.

"Wow," Aang said. "You look like a completely different person."

"Thanks… I guess," I said. "Come on, _son_ , we'll be late for your meeting with the Headmaster."

"Yes, ma'am." Aang saluted.

Aang and I walked to the school. Students were still hanging around the courtyard, and they noticed us and whispered to one another as we passed. We arrived at the Headmaster's office. I knocked on the door. There were a few seconds of muffled footsteps before the door opened.

The Headmaster was an old with gray hair tied back in a topknot. His sideburns ended at the bottom of his cheeks and extended outwards. A narrow, pointed goatee shot out from his chin. His mustache consisted of two thin strands of hair, which I likened to a dragon's long whiskers.

The Headmaster scowled as he looked at Aang. "Ah," he said, "you must be Kuzon's mother."

"It's nice to meet you," I said, bowing slightly. "Thank you for watching over my son."

"Yes… but perhaps not closely enough." The Headmaster stepped out of the way. "Have a seat."

Aang and I sat in the chairs across from the Headmaster, on the other side of his desk. There were three chairs; Aang sat in the middle one, and I sat in the left chair.

"I see your husband couldn't join us today," the Headmaster said.

"He's part of the capture of Ba Sing Se. I just received a letter from him a few days ago saying he arrived."

"I see. It's about time that city fell to the Fire Nation." I smiled politely. The Headmaster leaned forward and rested his chin on his intertwined fingers. "I've called you here today because your son has been enrolled for only two days, and he's already causing trouble. He's argued with his history teacher, disrupted music class, and today, he picked a fight with my star pupil."

I feigned surprise. "Kuzon is a good boy. I can't imagine him doing something like this."

The Headmaster sighed. "All mothers believe their sons to be the perfect child," he said. "This is a warning. If this happens again, Kuzon will be sent to _reform_ school." The Headmaster's face hardened, and his posture straightened. "Are we clear?"

"Absolutely, sir," I said with a smile. "He may be gone right now, when his father hears about this, I guarantee you he'll deal with Kuzon accordingly when he returns. Being deployed always makes him _extremely_ irritable."

The Headmaster leaned back in his chair. "That is pleasing to hear. Thank you for coming in."

We stood, bowed to the Headmaster, and left. Once we were outside the school grounds, Aang let out a heaving sigh, as if he were holding his breath the entire time.

"You handled that really well," Aang said.

"Thanks," I said. "While you don't have to deal with parental punishment, I want you to keep in mind what would happen if someone like him found out who you really are."

A chill rushed down Aang's spine. "All right, all right, I'll try and behave."

I smiled. "Maybe it's time to pull you from school and move on to somewhere else."

"What?! No!" Aang stopped walking. "I'm learning so much about the Fire Nation- not just its history, but the people around me. With the way those kids are being taught and raised, this cycle of hard-heartedness and cruelty will continue. I want to do something for them. I want to show them that they don't have to become like their parents."

"And how do you plan to do that?"

Aang smiled. "With a dance party."

I squinted at Aang and folded my arms. "The others would never agree to that."

"I managed to convince them to let me continue going to school. It won't be hard to convince them to let us all have a little fun."

* * *

The next day, Aang went to school and spread the word about his party. When he returned, we went to work on decorating. Candles covered the cave walls, giving us a brightly lit scene. Toph raised the earth and created some elevated platforms. Katara brought in water from the ocean and created a fountain.

Night fell, and the guests arrived. Soon, the cave was filled with Fire Nation students. The school band, The Flamey-O's, brought instruments. They stood on the platforms and began to play music. Despite this, the students stood and gave Aang blank stares.

"What are you all doing? Isn't this music catchy? Doesn't it make you want to dance?" Aang said.

"I don't… think my parents would want me dancing in a cave…" one student said, slowly shrinking his neck to hide his face.

"What if someone finds out?! What if we get caught?! What if they call the authorities and arrest us?!" a skinny, jittery student said.

Aang sighed. "You can't say it's bad for the Fire Nation to dance. Our people have been dancing for centuries. In fact, I know several classic Fire Nation dances."

From the makeshift tables Toph created, we sat and watched Aang show Fire Nation dance moves to the other students. They watched in awe and clapped at the end of every demonstration.

"I always knew Aang was light on his feet, but I didn't know he could dance," Toph said.

The students began to join in. Soon, everyone was dancing, at first the basic movements Aang showed, but then they began to add their own freestyle. Aang broke away from the crowd and approached the table. He stood in front of Katara and reached out a hand.

"Dance? Me?" Katara said. "I don't know…"

"Come on," Aang said. "Take my hand."

Katara slowly smiled. "Okay." She took Aang's hand, and they entered the dance floor. I watched from afar as they began to dance. The students around them stopped their dances and turned to watch. They crowded around the two, making it hard for me to see them. Their dancing was combinations of different styles of martial arts. Every now and then, I caught glimpses of the tops of their head, sometimes even their feet as they flipped through the air. The children reacted with gasps and shouts of awe.

The music stopped, and the students applauded. The music started again, and they dispersed to enjoy their own dancing again.

"Well, what do you know?" Sokka said. "This party actually turned out to be a good idea."

Immediately after his words, the music stopped abruptly. The children froze as they faced the cave entrance. We looked and saw the Headmaster standing with a couple of guards.

"There he is!" the Headmaster pointed into the crowd, presumably at Aang. "The boy with the headband!"

Aang turned on his heel and disappeared into the crowd.

"That was nice while it lasted," Sokka said. "Time to go!"

The music picked up again. While the guards were busy searching for Aang in the crowd, we circled around the students to the back of the cave. Aang slithered out of the crowd and jogged over to us. I watched students remove the sashes from their waists and tie them around their heads. The guards sprinted over, grabbed them by the shoulder, and turned them around to face them, only to find out it was the wrong person.

"Looks like you made some good friends," I said.

"Yeah," Aang said. One student turned around and winked at Aang. Aang waved. "Let's leave before they actually find me."

We escaped out the back of the cave. Toph used her earthbending to close the exit. We left the cave, where Appa waited for us. We climbed into the saddle. Appa lifted his tail, and we took off and away from the island.

"That was a lot of fun," Toph said. "Are you satisfied, Twinkle Toes?"

Aang had a smile, which he'd worn since we left the cave. "Yeah. I am." He turned to me. "Would you mind telling me more about the Fire Nation?"

"Sure, if you want," I said. Aang nodded excitedly.


End file.
